Noninvasive assessment of adrenal activity associated with husbandry and behavioral factors in the captive clouded leopard

This study used fecal glucocorticoid monitoring to investigate why captive clouded leopards often breed poorly and show high rates of mate aggression. The authors related adrenal hormone output to housing conditions, enclosure features, and behavioral measures across a managed population. They found that animals housed under certain stressful conditions, including those that limited the ability to avoid conspecifics or human disturbance, exhibited elevated stress hormones, which were associated with reduced reproductive success. The work demonstrated how chronic stress can suppress reproduction in a sensitive nondomestic felid and provided practical husbandry recommendations, such as introducing mates early and offering secluded, vertically complex enclosures. It exemplifies the integration of endocrinology, welfare, and breeding management.