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The horses at the Children’s Zoo in Gothenburg don’t mind being pet by children and adults. However, they do get stressed by the noise from an excavator. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have discovered this after fitting heart rate monitors to eight Gotland russ horses.
People and organisations that keep animals must take the animals’ welfare into account. For zoos that work to conserve species and breeds and wish to promote biodiversity, it is crucial to understand how visitors affect the animals in the zoo.
“Although a great deal can be gleaned from the animals’ behaviour, there is still some uncertainty about how they feel in the company of humans. That is why I have chosen to use heart rate monitors to find out how the horses in an animal park in Gothenburg are coping amidst all the people and activity. They actually don’t seem to mind all that much,” says Isidora Dundjerovic, lead author of the study.
Heart rate linked to stress
