Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use
Understanding social relationships in at-risk species held in captivity is vital for their welfare and potential reintroduction. In social species like the Przewalski’s horse (<i>Equus ferus przewalskii</i>), daily time allocation and space use may be influenced by social structure and,...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/53 |
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| author | Anastasiia Nykonenko Yevhen Moturnak Philip Dunstan McLoughlin |
| author_facet | Anastasiia Nykonenko Yevhen Moturnak Philip Dunstan McLoughlin |
| author_sort | Anastasiia Nykonenko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding social relationships in at-risk species held in captivity is vital for their welfare and potential reintroduction. In social species like the Przewalski’s horse (<i>Equus ferus przewalskii</i>), daily time allocation and space use may be influenced by social structure and, in turn, reflect welfare. Here, we identify social relationships, time budgets, and spatial distribution of a group of nine older (aged 6–21 years) male Przewalski’s horses living in a non-breeding (bachelor) group. We conducted our work at the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, over 65 h of observation in summer, 2015. Horses formed stronger social bonds with individuals of similar gregariousness and dominance levels. Social-network analysis identified three distinct subgroups with significant differences in locomotion, social behaviour, and foraging. However, resting and vigilance behaviour remained similar across the subgroups. Behavioural synchrony across all activities was higher within subgroups than between. Space use was also affected by subgroup membership, with some horses overusing or underusing critical resource areas like hay and water. These findings suggest opportunities to improve welfare by adjusting space and resource distribution, particularly for more submissive individuals. Our approach may also aid in selecting reintroduction candidates by considering social characteristics alongside health, genetic, and other factors. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d8a7ccf2cd8a4e29956c77541a62cfab |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-d8a7ccf2cd8a4e29956c77541a62cfab2025-08-20T02:47:05ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-12-011515310.3390/ani15010053Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space UseAnastasiia Nykonenko0Yevhen Moturnak1Philip Dunstan McLoughlin2Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, CanadaFaculty of Economics, Business and International Relations, University of Customs and Finance, 2/4 Volodymyra Vernadskoho St., 49000 Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, UkraineDepartment of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, CanadaUnderstanding social relationships in at-risk species held in captivity is vital for their welfare and potential reintroduction. In social species like the Przewalski’s horse (<i>Equus ferus przewalskii</i>), daily time allocation and space use may be influenced by social structure and, in turn, reflect welfare. Here, we identify social relationships, time budgets, and spatial distribution of a group of nine older (aged 6–21 years) male Przewalski’s horses living in a non-breeding (bachelor) group. We conducted our work at the Askania-Nova Biosphere Reserve, over 65 h of observation in summer, 2015. Horses formed stronger social bonds with individuals of similar gregariousness and dominance levels. Social-network analysis identified three distinct subgroups with significant differences in locomotion, social behaviour, and foraging. However, resting and vigilance behaviour remained similar across the subgroups. Behavioural synchrony across all activities was higher within subgroups than between. Space use was also affected by subgroup membership, with some horses overusing or underusing critical resource areas like hay and water. These findings suggest opportunities to improve welfare by adjusting space and resource distribution, particularly for more submissive individuals. Our approach may also aid in selecting reintroduction candidates by considering social characteristics alongside health, genetic, and other factors.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/53animal welfaresocial behaviourPrzewalski’s horsetakhithreatened speciescaptivity |
| spellingShingle | Anastasiia Nykonenko Yevhen Moturnak Philip Dunstan McLoughlin Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use Animals animal welfare social behaviour Przewalski’s horse takhi threatened species captivity |
| title | Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use |
| title_full | Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use |
| title_fullStr | Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use |
| title_full_unstemmed | Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use |
| title_short | Social Relationships of Captive Bachelor Przewalski’s Horses and Their Effect on Daily Activity and Space Use |
| title_sort | social relationships of captive bachelor przewalski s horses and their effect on daily activity and space use |
| topic | animal welfare social behaviour Przewalski’s horse takhi threatened species captivity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/1/53 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anastasiianykonenko socialrelationshipsofcaptivebachelorprzewalskishorsesandtheireffectondailyactivityandspaceuse AT yevhenmoturnak socialrelationshipsofcaptivebachelorprzewalskishorsesandtheireffectondailyactivityandspaceuse AT philipdunstanmcloughlin socialrelationshipsofcaptivebachelorprzewalskishorsesandtheireffectondailyactivityandspaceuse |