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        <title>Frontiers in Ethology | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ethology</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Frontiers in Ethology | New and Recent Articles</description>
        <language>en-us</language>
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        <pubDate>2026-05-03T15:21:22.371+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1807686</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1807686</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Decoding function in primate facial expressions: re-evaluating broader contexts and terminology]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-04-24T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Perspective</category>
        <author>Fabio Crepaldi</author><author>Marina Davila-Ross</author>
        <description><![CDATA[In this paper, we reflected on the role of pioneering studies in shaping research on nonhuman primate facial communication, as well as on how their terminology for describing certain expression types may have imposed limitations over time and, in some cases, misdirected research in the field. We then examined the extent to which more recent nonhuman primate studies have applied novel methods to reveal the complexity inherent in their facial morphology, while studies of their functions have not kept pace. Drawing on the current state of research on nonhuman primate facial communication, we concluded that important opportunities exist to investigate the likely complexity of these functions, representing a fundamental step toward reconstructing the evolution of nonverbal communication in humans and their closest relatives.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1816912</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1816912</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Compassion for animals: a narrative review]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-04-17T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Bassam Khoury</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Compassion for animals has emerged as an important yet insufficiently examined construct within psychological and contemplative science. Human–animal relationships have been shaped by anthropocentric and hierarchical norms that normalize harm, unevenly distribute moral concern, and limit recognition of animal suffering. Recent theoretical and empirical advances, however, indicate that compassion for animals constitutes a distinct and meaningful dimension of compassion, with significant implications for individual well-being, ethical orientation, and ecological sustainability. This review synthesizes current research on compassion for animals, integrating perspectives from ethics, contemplative science, and human–animal studies. It examines how compassion for animals is conceptualized and measured, distinguishing it from empathy and compassion directed toward humans, and reviews empirical evidence linking animal-directed compassion to personality traits, nature relatedness, and psychological health. The review also considers animals as relational partners and sentient beings capable of eliciting and expressing empathic responses. In addition, it discusses contemplative, experiential, and animal-assisted practices as potential pathways for cultivating compassion toward animals, while addressing ethical considerations related to animal welfare and agency. The review concludes by outlining directions for future research and highlighting the role of compassion for animals in expanding ethical concern, reducing animal suffering, and fostering more compassionate human–animal relationships.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1716575</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1716575</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Random timing of aversive events extends stress responses in fish]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-04-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Patricia Tatemoto</author><author>Graziela Valença-Silva</author><author>Donald Maurice Broom</author><author>Mônica Serra</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Responses to potential stressors are shaped by their predictability. While predictable events may reduce negative effects, the impact of temporal uncertainty remains unclear. This study examined how different degrees of predictability influence stress responses. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were exposed to a confinement stressor under four conditions: predictable (fixed timing), random (variable timing), unpredictable (single unexpected event), and unhandled control. Ventilatory frequency (VF) was used as a non-invasive indicator of physiological activation and measured before and after exposure. All confinement treatments increased VF immediately after exposure. However, response patterns differed. In the predictable condition, VF increased but was not sustained. In contrast, both random and unpredictable conditions produced elevated and prolonged responses, with the strongest effect under complete unpredictability. Partial predictability (random condition), where the stressor was anticipated but not temporally defined, was sufficient to maintain activation. These findings show that temporal uncertainty plays a key role in sustaining stress responses. The results support the concept of emotional plasticity, in which physiological responses are dynamically modulated by environmental predictability, with implications for animal welfare and stress regulation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1770290</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1770290</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Cross-species gestural coding framework for social carnivores]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-03-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Andrew J. Laurita</author><author>Stephanie A. Poindexter</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Acoustic and olfactory signals, including their function and form, have been extensively studied in social carnivores. However, visual signals have been comparatively understudied. To this end, we sought to evaluate whether a unified, cross-species coding system that integrates manual and facial gestures is feasible and useful for comparative research on social carnivores. To address this gap in knowledge, we developed and applied a uniform coding framework to three species of captive social carnivores: Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena) (n=4), Lycaon pictus (African wild dog) (n=3), and Canis lupus baileyi (Mexican gray wolf) (n=2). Our goal was to document gesture types using shared form-based labels, quantify overlap and divergence in gesture forms across species, and assess whether the resulting dataset supports interpretable comparisons of gesture frequency, recipient targeting, and context-linked function. We conducted behavioral observations of gestural communications in captive populations housed at three zoos in the United States (Buffalo, New York; Columbus, Ohio; Denver, Colorado) from June 2024 to June 2025. We used continuous focal sampling for three random hours per day during zoo operational hours (five days per week, 9:00–16:00 EST), supplemented with instantaneous scan sampling of gestural behaviors at five-minute intervals. We employed Bayesian generalized linear mixed models, including sender as a random effect, to assess the relationship between species and propensity to exhibit various gestural types (‘rank reinforcement’, ‘affiliative’, and ‘other’). Furthermore, we quantified overlap in gesture-category distributions and assessed variation in gestural function across all subjects using the Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index. We found that a unified coding framework has utility for comparing gestural communication across social carnivores that otherwise vary in their species-specific ethograms. Across three species, we documented gestures that were unique to a single species and a small core of overlapping gestures, based on context. By establishing a practical, harmonized approach to coding visible gestures, we provided a methodological infrastructure for future cross-species research on social communication and facilitated direct comparisons currently limited by inconsistent gesture annotation.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1784527</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1784527</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Risk profiling of zoo and aquaria accidents: a historical and contextual analysis of severity by species and human factors]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-03-16T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Alessio Arbuatti</author><author>Caterina Spiezio</author><author>Giorgia Di Martino</author><author>Pia Lucidi</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Accidents involving humans and captive wildlife in zoos and aquariums represent critical intersections of animal behavior, human roles, and environmental context. Despite the global scale of zoological institutions, systematic quantitative analyses of such incidents remain limited. In this study we conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis of 1,047 documented human-animal accidents occurring in zoos, parks, and aquaria worldwide from 1815 to the present. Each accident was classified by species involved, habitat type, human role, behavioral context, and injuries severity using a five-level ordinal scale. Using ordinal regression models, we examined associations between these variables and injury severity. Most recorded incidents resulted in low-severity outcomes; however, clear patterns emerged at higher severity levels. Accident severity differed significantly by species, habitat, human role, and contextual classification. Terrestrial settings accounted for the majority of incidents, while marine environments were associated with lower overall frequency but distinct severity profiles among staff-related encounters. Large-bodied terrestrial mammals, including elephants and large carnivores, showed higher predicted probabilities of severe outcomes. Staff members were involved in most incidents, reflecting occupational exposure, while visitor accidents—particularly involving intruders or children—were disproportionately represented among high-severity cases. By examining accidents as outcomes of specific behavior and interaction context, these findings highlight how species- and environment-specific severity patterns may reflect the behavioral demands placed on animals within the management systems of zoos, parks, and aquaria. Thus, the resulting database offers value not only for risk mitigation, but also for ethology-based welfare assessment and informed institutional reflection on the life conditions of exotic animals under human care.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1770678</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1770678</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Case Report: The ‘dolphin of Venice’: management of a solitary bottlenose dolphin in the Venetian Lagoon]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-25T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Case Report</category>
        <author>Giovanni Bearzi</author><author>Sandro Mazzariol</author><author>Luca Mizzan</author><author>Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara</author><author>Marco Bonato</author><author>Luca Ceolotto</author><author>Guido Pietroluongo</author>
        <description><![CDATA[A solitary common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus entered the Venetian Lagoon and was monitored between June–December 2025. After roaming the lagoon for three months, it settled in Venice, with a preference for waters adjacent to San Marco Square – one of the world’s busiest tourist destinations – where it was consistently observed feeding on mullet (Mugilidae). The Venetian Lagoon was historically part of the range of Adriatic dolphins, but such records have been rare since the 1970s. The ‘dolphin of Venice’ soon became a celebrity, resulting in people attempting to feed, touch and interact with the animal, as well as guided tours and erratic approaches by boats. Such inappropriate behaviour by humans increased disturbance, and the risk of propeller/boat strikes and habituation to human proximity. Following evidence of disturbance and lesions, in November 2025 an attempt was made to drive the dolphin away from the high-risk waters of the San Marco Basin using boats and acoustic deterrents. However, the dolphin immediately returned. Here, we report on the monitoring efforts and actions undertaken, review the relevant regulations, and discuss the options of 1) acoustic deterrence, 2) capture/removal, and 3) tolerance combined with best management practice. We argue that the occurrence of such a charismatic animal could serve as a model for human-wildlife coexistence in urban environments, demanding compliance with existing laws, area-specific measures, appropriate implementation and patrolling, resolute deterrence of inappropriate human behaviour, continued monitoring, and efforts to promote the type of social change that leads to widespread appreciation of, and respect for, wildlife.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1717951</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1717951</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Case Report: Agonistic interaction between Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis) and Tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis) in Brazil]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-23T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Case Report</category>
        <author>Layse Albuquerque</author><author>Karen Lucchini</author><author>Matheus L. Soares</author><author>Daniel L. Z. Kantek</author><author>Fernanda L. N. Attademo</author><author>Bruna Bezerra</author><author>Fábia O. Luna</author>
        <description><![CDATA[BackgroundInterspecific interactions play an important role in shaping ecological relationships, yet descriptions of social interspecific interactions in aquatic mammals remain scarce. Here, we describe a rare agonistic interspecific interaction between Tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia fluviatilis) and an Amazonian manatee calf (Trichechus inunguis) in Brazil, which resulted in the death of the manatee. Such records are unique and contribute to the understanding of behavioral repertoires of aquatic mammals.Case presentationOn April 12th, 2004, an Amazonian manatee calf was rescued by local fishermen in Macapá, Amapá State, Brazil, after being attacked by Tucuxi dolphins. The calf was transferred to a rehabilitation center, but its condition deteriorated. On April 22nd, the animal died, and necropsy revealed external cone-shaped marks consistent with dolphin bites, internal thoraco-abdominal trauma, intestinal rupture, and pulmonary edema. Histopathological analyses indicated neurogenic shock as the cause of death.ConclusionThis is the first documented case of aggression of Tucuxi dolphins towards an Amazonian manatee. The record highlights the importance of monitoring interspecific interactions in overlapping habitats and contributes to the scarce literature on cetacean-sirenian interactions.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1792510</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1792510</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Correction: Teaching systems thinking to protect wildlife: a pilot study in West Bengal’s secondary schools]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Correction</category>
        <author>Sangita Iyer</author><author>Aritra Kshettry</author><author>Liza Ireland</author><author>Jessica Bell Rizzolo</author><author>Shalvi Suman</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1777695</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1777695</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Impact of communal breeding disruption on behavioral synchronization, activity budget and reproduction in zoo-housed mara pairs]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Enzo M. Buiati</author><author>Laura M. Bellis</author><author>Juan M. Busso</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionThe mara (Dolichotis patagonum; Caviomorpha) is an endemic species that faces conservation problems in Argentina. The mara is categorized as near threatened at international level, as vulnerable in Argentina, and as threatened in the Dry Chaco (Córdoba province). To overcome this threat, maras could benefit from conservation actions both in situ (e.g., protected zones) and ex situ (e.g., breeding 85 program). Maras are monogamous and, in the wild, they exhibit a communal 86 breeding strategy. However, ex situ management may alter social strategies and/or compromise individuals’ preferences. Due to space restrictions in ex situ facilities, behavioral preferences such as communal breeding may be affected by management decisions. Hence, to assess whether shifting from communal to solitary breeding can disrupt behavior and reproduction, the study was carried out under semi-controlled environmental conditions (Córdoba Zoo).MethodsFrom a group of 70 individuals, monogamous pairs of maras were separated into two experimental groups: control (C; 5 pairs in a community pen) and treatment (T; 6 pairs, each 94 housed in a solitary pen). After an acclimatization period (two months), behaviors were monthly assessed on individual focal basis during the spring-summer seasons (7:30-12:30 h, 30-min sampling interval).ResultsThe sum of all active behaviors was not affected in T, and there was no effect on the synchronization of typical activities (50% in both groups). Remarkably, as the breeding season progressed, maras stopped showing synchronization. The proportion of time allocated to each behavior was different between groups, feeding and resting were observed mainly in C, while resting and sitting in alert mainly in T. Besides, T exhibited an increase in sitting in alert behavior and a reduction in feeding with respect to C. The total production of offspring did not differ between groups.DiscussionThe increase of the alert state in T could imply a situation of welfare compromise and/or chronic social distress over the reproductive season. Therefore, housing pairs in solitary ex situ pens should not be recommended. Whether increased alert corresponded to an overload of behavioral stress should be explored, increasing descriptive data about basal and reactive ranges.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1668835</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1668835</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Welfare of two cats in a nursing home: impact of the admission of a new resident in a disability unit]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-16T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Héloïse Vesque-Annear</author><author>Anthony Piermattéo</author><author>Cédric Sueur</author><author>Angélique Stachowiak</author><author>Marie Pelé</author><author>Marine Grandgeorge</author>
        <description><![CDATA[ObjectiveIn 2024, domestic cats (Felis sylvestris catus) are the most common pets in French homes and nursing homes. In nursing homes, older adults often experience limited social networks, social isolation, and loneliness. The permanent presence of a cat can have positive effects (i.e., reduction in feelings of loneliness and depressive symptoms). As a result, many French nursing homes include resident cats. However, few studies assess the welfare of these animals in such contexts. A cat’s welfare can be impacted by disruptions in the animal’s routine, as observed in nursing homes (i.e., social interactions or environmental changes). This study aimed to assess how the arrival of a new resident in a disability unit of a nursing home affects the welfare and social network of resident cats (Gizmo and Felix).MethodsThe study was carried out in a unit with 12 residents, 9 caregivers, and 2 cats. Observations were made over 45 h during a 30-day period, covering three periods: before, during, and after the arrival of a new resident. The cats’ activities and the areas they frequented were recorded using the method of all occurrences sampling. Social proximities between cats, residents, and caregivers were recorded every 10 min using scan sampling to visualize social networks (e.g., for physical contact).ResultsOur study showed that the two cats reacted differently to this change. Gizmo spent more time alerting and avoiding others while occupying a new space: the residents’ bedrooms. In contrast, Felix spent less time being active but more time outside the unit. Social network analysis revealed that interactions between caregivers, residents, and the cats were affected. Individuals had the same number of interactions, but not with the same partners. After approximately 10 days, several behaviors showed signs of stabilization; however, not all measures returned to pre−arrival levels, indicating that the adjustment process was still ongoing.ConclusionCats and humans began to adjust to environmental changes through behavioral shifts and spatial use, creating feedback loops. Tracking these dynamics via social networks highlights cats as welfare stakeholders. The One Welfare approach emphasizes the importance of architectural flexibility and behavior monitoring to improve multispecies care in nursing homes.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1752182</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1752182</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Development and validity evidence of the dog–human attachment scale]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-06T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Maria Cecília de Souza</author><author>Rosana Suemi Tokumaru</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The present study aimed to develop and provide validity evidence for the Dog–Human Attachment Scale (DHAS), designed to assess dogs’ attachment styles toward their caregivers. Content validity of the proposed items was confirmed by experts. To examine the internal structure of the instrument, data from 1,014 Brazilian dogs were analyzed based on owner responses to the DHAS, with 713 cases used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and 301 for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor structure: Anxiety, Avoidance, and Insecurity, capturing distinct aspects of canine attachment. The CFA supported the adequacy of the three-factor model. Test–retest procedures demonstrated good temporal stability. Evidence of internal structure validity was found, including acceptable composite reliability and ordinal McDonald’s omega coefficients for all three factors, as well as no evidence of differential item functioning (DIF) across guardian gender. Finally, latent profile analysis based on participants’ scores on the three dimensions identified an optimal three-profile solution in the sample, corresponding to insecure-anxious (16.2%), disorganized (47.3%), and insecure-avoidant (36.5%) attachment styles. These findings highlight the utility of the DHAS in distinguishing variations in dog–human attachment patterns. The instrument offers a reliable and valid tool for advancing research and clinical practice, contributing to a deeper understanding of how attachment mechanisms shape canine emotional regulation and behavior in relation to caregivers and influence the quality of the human–dog relationship.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1723614</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1723614</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Allosuckling in domestic hair sheep: a rare behavior associated with multiple births and male lambs]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-03T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Libia Pérez-Torres</author><author>Agustín Orihuela</author><author>José Herrera-Haro</author><author>Angelica Terrazas</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Allonursing or allosuckling is a rare but an intriguing evolutionary behavior reported in several species including mammals. Despite the energy cost of lactation, females occasionally allow alien offspring to suckle, suggesting potential adaptative, physiological, or social functions. However, information on this behavior in domestic sheep, particularly in tropical hair breeds, remains scarce. To determine the frequency and the influencing factors of non-filial suckling (NFS) in Saint Croix sheep, a total of 33 hair sheep ewes and their lambs (16 singletons, 13 twins, and 4 triplets) were observed from parturition to weaning (8 weeks of lactation). All animals were kept as a group, grazing on a paddock from 0800 to 1400 hours and penned during the rest of the day. Behavioral observations were conducted three times/week (from 0800 to 1000 and from 1400 to 1600 hours), and the suckling events (S) and suckling attempts (A) from both filial and non-filial (NF) ewe–lambs pairs and the weight gain in lambs were recorded. A total of 1,664 A and 6,203 S were observed, of which 17.0% corresponded to non-filial attempts (NFAs) and 0.6% to NFS. Of the lambs, 85% displayed NFAs, while 37% displayed NFS, at least one time. The percentage of lambs that displayed NFS was affected by the following: a) multiple births—more triplets and twins than singletons [50% (6/12) and 38% (10/26) vs. 25% (4/16), p = 0.0001]; b) the sex of the lamb—more males than females [75% (25/33) vs. 30% (10/33), p = 0.0004]; and c) the time of day context—favoring PM = pen over AM = pasture (67.2% vs. 32.8%, p = 0.0075). The age of the lamb did not affect the percentage of lambs displaying NFAs or NFS. However, NFAs were more frequent in young lambs at early lactation. All ewes received NFAs, but only 49% of them allowed NFS (100% of the ewes that gave birth to triplets, 46% bearing twins, and 37% bearing singletons). Lambs that displayed more NF activities had the lowest average weight gains at weeks 2 and 6, maintaining the same tendency throughout lactation. These results indicate that NFS occurs in hair sheep, but is infrequent and needs to be investigated in the context of nutritional stress, recognition errors, or maternal permissiveness.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1718968</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2026.1718968</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Roosting under pressure: cumulative tourist load negatively impacts colony activity in the rare bat Furipterus horrens]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-29T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Daniel García-Valverde</author><author>Henry Alfaro-Lara</author><author>Luis Esteban Vargas-Castro</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Understanding bat activity in areas with human disturbance is increasingly important for their conservation. Bat colonies roosting on infrastructure used for tourism may be negatively affected over time, as tourism-related activities can disrupt roosting behavior, and affect colony size and stability. In this study, we evaluated the impact of tourist load on bat activity with passive acoustic monitoring in one Costa Rican eco-lodge, which hosts the only currently known colony of thumbless bats, Furipterus horrens, in the region. Their elusive behavior, limited survey records, and fragmented geographic distribution within the Neotropics, make them one of the least studied bat species. The colony we studied roosts under a series of bungalows used for tourist accommodation. We deployed an acoustic system composed of 19 recorders distributed under six bungalows, to monitor bat acoustic activity. Each bungalow was recorded for up to 43 nights in total, within five monitoring periods between February and April 2025. In addition, we conducted visual count surveys during each acoustic monitoring period. We gathered data on bungalow occupancy and analyzed the relationship between the cumulative reservation load of three and seven consecutive nights, on bat activity, using generalized linear mixed models. Our results show that for a given bungalow, higher bat acoustic activity significantly predicts higher abundance of individuals. Furthermore, even though acoustic activity was not affected by a three-night reservation load, the seven-night reservation load negatively affected the acoustic activity of thumbless bats, suggesting that this species is sensitive to an accumulated human disturbance over this period. These findings highlight the importance of adequate management plans that integrate people and bat populations, particularly in the context of high anthropogenic loads, like tourism-related activities in eco-lodges. Understanding these impacts provides critical information for making better-informed decisions that balance ecotourism with the conservation of vulnerable wildlife.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1752180</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1752180</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Behavioural assessment of Potamotrygon stingrays under different food enrichment strategies]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-21T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Cassia Regina Ramos Gonzaga</author><author>Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo</author><author>Helen Colbachini</author><author>Laura Chrispim Reisfeld</author><author>Fabiana Lúcia André Padilha</author><author>Rafael Caprioli Gutierrez</author><author>Cristiane Schilbach Pizzutto</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionFreshwater stingrays of the genus Potamotrygon are endemic to South America and increasingly maintained in aquaria worldwide, yet welfare studies on these species remain limited. Environmental enrichment, particularly feeding strategies, is recognised as stimulating natural behaviours and improving welfare in captivity.MethodsThis study assessed the behavioural responses of Potamotrygon motoro, P. orbignyi, and P. falkneri to three feeding methods designed to impose different levels of access difficulty: (i) scattered food at the surface (easy), (ii) food buried in the substrate (intermediate), and (iii) food placed inside perforated bottles (difficult). Research was conducted at the São Paulo Aquarium, where eight adult females were housed in a mixed-species tank. Over three weeks, behaviours were recorded using scan sampling at 45-second intervals and analysed using Generalised Linear and Generalised Linear Mixed Models.ResultsStingrays spent significantly more time interacting with food under all enrichment treatments than under standard feeding, and exhibited reduced inactivity and increased swimming. Enriched conditions elicited species-typical behaviours such as substrate disturbance during foraging.DiscussionOverall, the findings demonstrate that feeding challenges, as they align with elasmobranch behavioural ecology, promote behavioural diversity and indicators of improved welfare. Incorporating such enrichment into routine husbandry may enhance the quality of life in captive stingrays and provide evidence-based guidance for welfare practices in aquaria and zoological institutions.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1704639</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1704639</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Tourism at the intersection of animal ethics, human ecology, and conservation: Asian elephants in violation?]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-21T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>David Fennell</author><author>Jessica Bell Rizzolo</author><author>Waraporn Theerasak</author><author>Nuchjaree Pookkaman</author><author>Kasemsri Ittiphong</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Given the common proposed use of wildlife tourism as a conservation tool, it is essential for conservation practice to determine the differential impacts of wildlife tourism on wildlife themselves in a manner that takes cross-cultural differences into account. With Asian elephants as a case study, this paper developed a conceptual approach (theory synthesis) that integrated the concept of symbiosis from biology, a scale of justice framework from philosophy, tourist typologies from tourism studies, and the concept of inviolate zones from conservation science. This approach case be used to determine the degree of impact different tourist types have on elephants, rendering them as either violate or inviolate “zones”. The paper employed a conceptual approach in the form of theory synthesis, which was later used as a framework from which to investigate how animal-based tourism scholars and students (19 Thai students in five groups after a teaching intervention) perceive 13 different uses of Asian elephants. Results indicate largely consistent responses by the scholars on these uses within the framework, while the consistency of student responses depended upon the type of elephant use examined. The challenges and prospects for a conceptually rigorous, multi-disciplinary evaluation of tourism’s impacts on Asian elephants and other wildlife are discussed.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1693306</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1693306</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Teaching systems thinking to protect wildlife: a pilot study in West Bengal’s secondary schools]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Sangita Iyer</author><author>Aritra Kshettry</author><author>Liza Ireland</author><author>Jessica Bell Rizzolo</author><author>Shalvi Suman</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Conventional school curricula fragment knowledge into siloed subjects and rely on rote learning, leaving students ill-equipped to address complex socio-ecological issues such as human-elephant conflict. We tested the hypothesis that a topic-based curriculum—grounded in nine ecological principles—could enhance eco-literacy, empathy, and creative problem-solving among secondary students. Between October 2022 and February 2024, our multidisciplinary team co-created the Elephants and People unit and implemented it across three sequential phases: (1) a three-day teachers’ training workshop (for 38 teachers from 18 schools) employing slow pedagogy, Appreciative Inquiry, backcasting, World Café dialogues, experiential outdoor games, and daily benchmarking; (2) teacher-led classroom implementation in five human-elephant-conflict-zone schools, organizing nature immersion, journaling, screening Asian Elephants 101 film series (subtitled in local language), and action research; and (3) an advanced curriculum design workshop for teachers, producing locally tailored, interdisciplinary units grounded in systems thinking. Benchmarking scores rose from a median of 2–3/10 to 7–8/10, reflecting significant gains in teacher confidence and knowledge. Classroom observations revealed 83% of participating schools and 77% of teachers fully adopted the pedagogy. Student reflections and essays showed increased empathy and innovative ideas for coexistence. This research could help create a paradigm shift in curriculum design—from fragmented, anthropocentric content to holistic, eco-centric learning—inspiring pro-conservation attitudes, restoring students’ innate creativity, and deepening their sense of interdependence with nature. Scaling this framework through multidisciplinary curriculum integration and systems thinking workshops for teachers offers a promising path to transform education into a catalyst for sustainable human-wildlife coexistence.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1717389</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1717389</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Targeting frustration: a review on reducing abnormal behaviors in broiler breeders via environmental enrichment]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-01-02T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Marcela A. Quino</author><author>Bethany Baker-Cook</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Broiler breeders are an essential component of broiler production, yet their welfare is compromised due to current management practices like feed restriction and housing conditions. These practices can lead to the development of abnormal behaviors, such repetitive pecking, feather licking, feather pecking, pacing, and polydipsia. Abnormal behaviors are indicative of poor welfare, and environmental enrichment is one potential strategy that can be used to reduce them. The impacts and use of environmental enrichment in broiler breeder production are an understudied field, and this review aims to identify potential environmental enrichment strategies that may mitigate abnormal behaviors in broiler breeders and highlight existing research gaps. The identified enrichments are pecking blocks, bales of substrate, perches, cover panels, and hanging pecking objects. These enrichments have been shown to address abnormal behaviors, encourage environmental complexity, and improve animal welfare. However, most of the enrichments proposed in this literature review need to be further studied to fully understand their impact on breeder behavior and welfare.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1681085</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1681085</link>
        <title><![CDATA[The impact of kitten training and socialization classes on cat cognitive bias and discrimination learning]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-12-16T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Kristyn R. Vitale</author><author>Champayne D. Master</author><author>Monique A. R. Udell</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Cats rank among the world’s most popular companion animals. Despite their widespread presence in human homes, accessible training and socialization opportunities for kittens remain scarce. In this study, a 6-week training and socialization class was offered for kittens aged 3-8 months old. Class kittens were compared to a group of control kittens  that did not take part in the training and socialization class. Both groups of kittens participated in a cognitive bias test to measure discrimination learning and emotional outlook. Discrimination learning was measured in terms of passing criteria on the cognitive bias test, and the kittens’ responses to an ambiguous stimulus were measured to gauge optimistic or pessimistic outlooks. It was predicted that training and socialization would improve learning and lead to more optimistic judgments in class kittens. Results indicate that the training and socialization class helped maintain the ability to learn the task discrimination over time in class kittens, whereas control kittens that lacked the training and socialization experience displayed a decrease in task discrimination over time (Total N = 63; Experimental = 31, Control = 32). There was no significant difference between the groups in cognitive bias latencies (Total N = 36; Experimental = 17, Control = 19). However, interestingly, both groups showed shorter latency to approach an ambiguous stimulus over time, suggesting a naturally optimistic shift in kittens. This study reports the first use of the cognitive bias test in pet cats, and the findings contribute to our understanding of how socialization and training influence feline cognition and emotional well-being.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1727875</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1727875</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Udder skin temperature is related to the ewes’ and lambs’ behaviors at birth in autumn lambing ewes]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-12-11T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Rodolfo Ungerfeld</author><author>Ophélie  Menant</author><author>Raquel Pérez-Clariget</author><author>Aline Freitas-de-Melo</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The survival of lambs depends on various factors, including the behavioral traits of both mother and newborn lambs at birth, as well as the ewe’s colostrum production and quality. Colostrum consumption is essential for establishing the ewe-lamb bond and for increasing the lambs’ survival rate. The lambs’ survival rate is also related to the ewe’s udder and teat morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to determine whether udder and teat characteristics before lambing are associated with the ewe-lamb behaviors at birth and during a separation-reunion test performed 24–36 h later. The udder’s volume and the length, width, and angle of the teats, and the udders’ skin surface temperatures were measured on ewes before lambing. At lambing, the duration of the second stage of parturition, the latency of the ewe to lick the lamb for the first time and its duration, and the latency of the lamb to suckle for the first time and the suckle duration were recorded. Twenty-four to 36 h postpartum, a separation-reunion test was performed during which the ewe’s and lamb’s vocalizations, the ewe-lamb distance, and the latency to reunite and suckle were recorded. Data were collected on 50 ewe-lamb dyads during an out-of-season lambing period (autumn). Spearman correlations were conducted between udder and teat characteristics and the behaviors of ewes and lambs after birth. The udder surface skin temperatures of the ewes’ were negatively related with the number of days before lambing (max: r=-0.57, P = 0.003, min: r= -0.50, P = 0.01), but were positively associated with the latency of the ewe to lick the lamb for the first time (min: r=0.46, P = 0.03), and the latency of the lambs to suckle for the first time (max: r=0.53, P = 0.007, min: r= 0.46, P = 0.02). In conclusion, a negative correlation was observed between the udder skin surface temperature and the time it took for the mothers to lick their lambs for the first time, as well as the time it took for the lambs to ingest colostrum for the first time. However, the morphological characteristics of the udder and teats recorded before birth were not found to be related to the behavioral development of the ewe-lamb bond.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1716889</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2025.1716889</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Experience and individual motivation affect the sexual performance of male goats at different times of the year]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-11-27T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Karen Ayala-Pereyro</author><author>Angelica Terrazas</author><author>Francisco R. González-Díaz</author><author>Rocío Ibarra-Trujillo</author><author>Paolo Cano-Suárez</author><author>Rosalba Soto</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionAlthough there is extensive research on sexual behavior in goats, little is known about the effects caused by individual variations in males.ObjectiveThe present study aimed to evaluate, on an individual basis, the sexual behavior in developing male bucks, during their first year of life, throughout three times across the year.MethodsFrequencies and latencies of copulation, recovery period, sniffing, approximation, licking, pawing, flehmen, self-marking, female seeking, and fake mounting were assessed in six bucks. With the sum of the standardized frequencies of each behavior, a sexual index was constructed, where negative values indicate low sexual performance, contrary to high values. At the beginning of the study, males were 10 months old, and when the study was over, they were 17 months old. The study was conducted in three stages: stage 1 (March 3rd to March 25th), stage 2 (April 8th to April 20th), and stage 3 (September 21st to October 12th). Each male was tested in the presence of two receptive females, seven times every third day in each stage, for 10 min each test.ResultsWhen comparing between males, it was found that male 6 had a longer latency of copulation at stage 2 (P ≤ 0.01) and showed a similar trend toward longer latency at stage 3 (P < 0.09). When comparing within the same male over time, the latency of copulation in male 5 changed across each stage (P = 0.03). At the same time, male 6 showed a tendency to decrease the latency of copulation as the study progressed (P = 0.06). Regarding the sexual index, male 3 had the highest sexual index in stage 3 (P ≤ 0.02); in contrast, males 5 and 6 had the lowest at almost all stages. Finally, males 1, 2, 3, and 4 improved their sexual index as the study advanced (P ≤ 0.01); in contrast, males 5 and 6 did not (P ≥ 0.05).ConclusionsIn bucks, the sexual performance improved with experience, but only in those with high motivation.]]></description>
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