Koalas are stressed very easy :
Koalas can't bear humans, researchers warn | Mail Online
Koalas can't bear humans, researchers warn | Mail Online
Koala stressed
- Thread starter vogelcommando
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A slightly less strident article, actually written by the researchers, can be found here:
https://theconversation.com/how-man...y visitors can a koala bear Not many it seems
The thrust of the paper seems to be that when koalas encounter humans their response is to become more vigilant and alert, behavior that stops them sleeping and eating. Logical for wild animals certainly, and the end game would be koalas that are stressed and malnourished. However I have the following observations about this research:
1. If contact with humans was sufficient to cause koalas to be so affected, then it would be almost impossible to maintain them in captivity, as they would soon die of starvation. In fact koalas live longer on average in captivity than they do in the wild.
2. This research was not done in a typical captive koala facility but in a semi-wild facility. To try to extrapolate the results to a captive facility from this research is dangerous. The authors say as much in their concluding paragraphs. In fact captive koalas will happily eat and sleep with visitors only metres away, even while being stroked! This is probably because they are habituated to human presence, something that may not occur in a semi-wild facility.
3. The researchers have relied on behavioral observations, the conclusions from which must be very subjective. It is notable they have not used any objective physiological measures, such as lifespan, fertility rates, development of young etc.
https://theconversation.com/how-man...y visitors can a koala bear Not many it seems
The thrust of the paper seems to be that when koalas encounter humans their response is to become more vigilant and alert, behavior that stops them sleeping and eating. Logical for wild animals certainly, and the end game would be koalas that are stressed and malnourished. However I have the following observations about this research:
1. If contact with humans was sufficient to cause koalas to be so affected, then it would be almost impossible to maintain them in captivity, as they would soon die of starvation. In fact koalas live longer on average in captivity than they do in the wild.
2. This research was not done in a typical captive koala facility but in a semi-wild facility. To try to extrapolate the results to a captive facility from this research is dangerous. The authors say as much in their concluding paragraphs. In fact captive koalas will happily eat and sleep with visitors only metres away, even while being stroked! This is probably because they are habituated to human presence, something that may not occur in a semi-wild facility.
3. The researchers have relied on behavioral observations, the conclusions from which must be very subjective. It is notable they have not used any objective physiological measures, such as lifespan, fertility rates, development of young etc.
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