Faith Hensley, Caitlin Gerke, and Dr. Jodee Hunt Biology Department, Grand Valley State University Introduction Results Acknowledgments Methods We thank the John Ball Zoo for the use of their animals, exhibits, and resources, the GVSU Office of Undergraduate Research & Scholarship, and our team of volunteers for making this research possible. Photos taken by the John Ball Zoo on Instagram (@johnballzoogr). This protocol was approved by the JBZ Animal Care Committee and the GVSU Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee. Discussion and Conclusions Changes in Behavior of Male Amur Tigers Following Introduction to John Ball Zoo • Observed two young male siblings introduced in May 2018 • 30 minute observation sessions done using ZooMonitor • State behaviors quantified in 30 second intervals • All occurrences of event behaviors were recorded • Data from 2018 (introduction) compared to 2019 (1 year post-intro) • Developed heat maps to examine use of enclosure features Fig. 4. Locomotive behaviors (walk, patrol & pace) of adult male 2 in 2018 (a) and 2019 (b). Focused on paths along the back of the enclosure in 2018, but utilized nearly the entire enclosure in 2019, including more of the interior area. Like his brother, overall activity was greater in 2019 compared to 2018. • Monitored the behavior of two young Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) introduced to John Ball Zoo, MI in May of 2018 to the summer of 2019 (one year post introduction) • Focused on changes in activity patterns and pacing behavior Explored the spatial use of their enclosure and enclosure features • Compared differences in their behavior patterns Fig. 3. Locomotive behaviors (walk, patrol & pace) of adult male 1 in 2018 (a) and 2019 (b). Paths focused on the perimeter, observation window (bottom) and near the enclosure entry (top). Overall, he was more active in 2019 compared to 2018. • The two males were often found in close proximity which was interesting as tigers are generally not social except during mating and parental activities. • During 2018, both tigers used similar areas in their enclosure that allowed them to hide from visitors. By 2019, they were more often observed in full view, or moving along paths that brought them closer to visitors. • Both males used a greater proportion of the enclosure space and features in 2019 compared to 2018. This is likely due to an increase in confidence and familiarity with their surroundings. Both tigers utilized nearly all the space and features provided. • Both males became more active from 2018 to 2019, male tiger 2 being more active overall • Pacing behavior increased for both male tigers but to varying degrees. • Male tiger 2 had a much greater percentage of pacing behavior. a) b) a) b) PC: @johnballzoogr PC: @johnballzoogr 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Tiger 1: 2018 Tiger 1: 2019 Tiger 2: 2018 Tiger 2: 2019 % Time Budget Amur Tiger 1 and 2: Activity Patterns 2018 and 2019 Locomotion Pacing 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Tiger 1: 2018 Tiger 1: 2019 Tiger 2: 2018 Tiger 2: 2019 % Time Budget Amur Tiger 1 and 2: 2018 and 2019 Behavior Patterns Inactive Behavior Active Behavior Fig. 1. Pacing and locomotion from 2018 to 2019 for male tiger 1 and 2. Locomotive behavior for male tiger 1 was dominated by non- pacing, while pacing dominated the locomotor behavior of male tiger 2 Fig. 2. Active behaviors (e.g. walking, pacing, patrolling) and inactive behaviors (e.g. lying down, sleeping, sitting) in 2018 and 2019 for male tiger 1 and 2. Both tigers had an increase in active behavior, however male tiger 2 was more active overall for both years.