ANESTHESIA IN CAPTIVE GIANT PANDAS () WITH MEDETOMIDINE-KETAMINE.

One male and one female giant panda () from a Belgian zoo were anesthetized on eight different occasions over a course of 4 yr for electro-ejaculation ( = 3) or artificial insemination ( = 5). Medetomidine (0.03-0.

Lignocellulose Fermentation Products Generated by Giant Panda Gut Microbiomes Depend Ultimately on pH Rather than Portion of Bamboo: A Preliminary Study.

Giant pandas feed almost exclusively on bamboo but miss lignocellulose-degrading genes. Their gut microbiome may contribute to their nutrition; however, the limited access to pandas makes experimentation difficult. In vitro incubation of dung samples is used to infer gut microbiome activity.

Presence of Broad-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing in Zoo Mammals.

Broad-spectrum beta-lactamase (BSBL)-producing impose public health threats. With increased popularity of zoos, exotic animals are brought in close proximity of humans, making them important BSBL reservoirs. However, not much is known on the presence of BSBLs in zoos in Western Europe.

Parturition in white rhinoceros.

In captive rhinoceros stillbirth and perinatal death are recorded at a rate of 6-17% in the various species. At the same time there is a substantial lack of knowledge on rhinoceros parturition. Yet, predicting parameters for birth and progress of parturition are fundamental for the recognition of dystocia and perinatal problems.

Transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers in healthy captive male and female squirrel monkeys (Saimiri spp.).

Background: Echocardiography is the most frequently used non -invasive diagnostic tool to evaluate cardiac anatomy and function in domestic species but increasingly also in non -domestic species, especially since cardiac disease is being recognized as an important cause of death in captive primates. The purpose of this cross -sectional study was to investigate the feasibility of transthoracic echocardiography in healthy squirrel monkeys as well as to provide species specific normal values for standard echocardiographic measurements. A secondary aim was to determine plasma and serum levels of the cardiac biomarkers, N -terminal pro -brain natriuretic peptide (NT -proBNP) and cardiac troponin T (cTnT).