Normande, Iran C.

2 publications

Anzolin, Daiane Garcia; Carvalho, Paulo S. M. de; Viana, Pitágoras C., Jr.; Normande, Iran C.; Souto, Antonio da Silva (detail)
2014Stereotypical behaviour in captive West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus).
Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc. United Kingdom 94(6): 1133-1137. 1 tab. 2 figs. DOI: 10.1017/S0025315412001944. Publ. online Feb. 21, 2013.
—ABSTRACT: There is great difficulty in maintaining aquatic mammals in captivity, since the attempt to replicate the environment they live in poses an enormous challenge. Poor captivity facilities without environmental enrichment can lead to different consequences for animal health, including the appearance of stereotypical movements. The aim of this study was to identify these behaviours in three groups of animals, one group of manatees inhabiting a reintroduction oceanarium in Pernambuco (PE) state, and two other groups confined in corrals constructed in natural areas (estuaries), one located in Paraiba state and the other in Alagoas state, all in north-eastern Brazil. Observations were conducted using the focal animal sampling method. It was found that the animals inhabiting the reintroduction oceanarium with no environmental enrichment showed stereotypical behaviour such as 'Back-and-forth' movements, 'Hitting head against the limiting structure' and 'Hitting the muzzle', while animals constrained within estuaries did not. The 'circle swimming' behaviour was present in a higher percentage of the animals captive in the reintroduction oceanarium, although no significant difference between the sites was found. The number and frequency of occurrence of stereotypical behaviours was significantly higher in animals kept in the reintroduction oceanarium in PE than in those of other locations. Based on these results we recommend the use of appropriate environmental enrichment and the reduction of time manatees stay confined in the reintroduction oceanarium.
Normande, Iran C.; Malhado, Ana C. M.; Reid, J.; Viana, P. C.; Savaget, P. V. S.; Correia, Richard A.; Luna, Fábia de Oliveira; Ladle, Richard James (detail)
2015Post-release monitoring of Antillean manatees: an assessment of the Brazilian rehabilitation and release programme.
Animal Conservation 19: 235–246. DOI: 10.1111/acv.12236. Published online September 22, 2015.
—ABSTRACT: Mammalian reintroduction programmes frequently aim to reconnect isolated sub-populations and restore population viability. However, these long-term objectives are rarely evaluated due to the inadequacy of post-release monitoring. Here, we report the results of a unique long-term telemetry-based monitoring programme for rehabilitated Antillean manatees Trichechus manatus manatus reintroduced into selected sites in north-east Brazil with the aim of reconnecting isolated relict populations. Twenty-one satellite-tagged rehabilitated manatees, 13 males and 8 females, were released into the wild from two sites between November 2008 and June 2013. Individual accumulation curves were plotted and home ranges were calculated through the fixed kernel method using 95% of the utilization distribution. The number and size of the centres of activity (COAs) were calculated using 50% of the utilization distribution. Manatees displayed a dichotomous pattern of movement, with individuals either characterized by sedentary habits or by much more extensive movements. Moreover, home-range size was not significantly influenced by gender, age at release or release site. COAs were strongly associated with sheltered conditions within reefs and estuaries, and also by the presence of freshwater and feeding sites. Our data confirm that manatee reintroductions in Brazil have the potential to reconnect distant sub-populations. However, pre-release identification of potential long-distance migrants is currently unfeasible, and further analysis would be required to confirm genetic mixing of distant sub-populations.