動物園獅子嘗到「野味」
What happens when zoo lions are given a whole animal to eat instead of neatly prepared pieces of meat? According to Australian researchers, they start behaving a lot more like their wild cousins.
The study took place at a safari park in South Australia, home to three adult male African lions. The lions were already on a "feast and fast" diet, meaning they did not eat every day. Keepers then added a whole carcass to the menu every nine days, which the lions could feed on for up to three days.
Eight infrared cameras recorded the animals around the clock for three months. On carcass days, the lions spent almost three times longer eating than usual. They tore, pulled and chewed at the meat, then rested for long periods afterwards. During the fasting days that followed, they gradually became more active – a pattern similar to that of lions in the wild.
Importantly, the change did not make the lions more aggressive towards one another.
The researchers say feeding whole carcasses offers more than good nutrition. It allows the animals to express natural behaviour, which is an important part of their welfare. They also note that a single meal can affect behaviour for days, so keepers should watch the animals over the whole feeding cycle.
如果不給動物園的獅子切好的肉塊，而是給牠們一整隻動物，會發生什麼事？澳洲研究人員發現，牠們會變得更像野外的同類。
研究在南澳州一座野生動物園進行，園裡有三頭成年的非洲雄獅。牠們原本就採用「飽一餐、餓一餐」的餵法，並不是每天都吃。飼育員在這個基礎上，每九天給牠們一整具動物屍體，獅子最多可以吃三天。
八台紅外線攝影機連續三個月、全天候記錄獅子的一舉一動。有整隻獵物的日子，獅子進食的時間幾乎是平常的三倍。牠們撕、扯、啃，吃完後會休息很久。接下來禁食的幾天，牠們又慢慢活躍起來，和野生獅子的模式很像。
另外，這樣餵並沒有讓獅子彼此之間變得更兇。
研究人員表示，餵整隻獵物的好處不只在營養，還能讓動物表現出天性，這是動物福利很重要的一部分。他們也指出，一餐飯對行為的影響可能持續好幾天，所以飼育員應該觀察整個餵食週期。