Relocation & Transport

It’s Okay to Cry – Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume V

This is the 5th volume of selected discussions that took place on the electronic Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum between February 2016 and December 2019. The forum was created in October 2002; it allows the international animal care community...

Year Published: 2020Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Drug/Substance Administration, Environmental Enrichment, External Bodily Equipment, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat, Chinchilla, Dog, Ferret, Guinea Pig, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Reinhardt, V. (ed.) 2020. It’s Okay to Cry - Discussions by the Laboratory Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum [LAREF], Volume V. Animal Welfare Institute, Washington, DC.

Malawi cichlids: A colorful 4th R story

This article describes the successful rehoming of 60 Malawi cichlids from a vivarium at Stanford University to San Diego Zoo and the California Academy of Sciences.

Year Published: 2020Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Chu, D. 2020. Malawi cichlids: A colorful 4th R story. Laboratory Animal Science Professional 8(3) (May/June), 24-25.

Managed care of naked mole-rats

Naked mole-rats are a burgeoning model species in the field of biomedical research and are also housed at many zoos throughout the world. These mammals possess many traits that have a large impact on the way that they are kept...

Year Published: 2021Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Identification Method, Rearing & Weaning, Relocation & Transport, Reproduction, Restraint, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Mole Rat, Rodent

Citation: Smith, M., Buffenstein, R. 2021. Managed care of naked mole-rats. In: R. Buffenstein, T. J. Park, M. M. Holmes (Eds.), The Extraordinary Biology of the Naked Mole-Rat. Springer International Publishing, pp. 381–407.

Blue light preconditioning as a novel strategy for reducing transport stress in zebrafish

In recent years, zebrafish have become increasingly important in experimental sciences, with transportation being a critical step in their use. However, the vibrations during transportation often induce stress responses in the fish, impairing their physiological functions and even leading to...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Zebrafish

Citation: Huo, L., Miao, X., Zhang, X. et al. 2025. Blue light preconditioning as a novel strategy for reducing transport stress in zebrafish. Behavioural Processes 231, 105260.

Effect of transport stress on apoptosis and autophagy in goat lung cells

Introduction Road transportation exposes goats to thermal, mechanical, and microbial stressors that can compromise their welfare by triggering pulmonary apoptosis and autophagy processes associated with tissue damage and immunosuppression. Methods To explore potential biomarkers for transport-related welfare assessment, this study...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Goat

Citation: Zhuo, Y., Hu, Y., Jin, Y. et al. 2025. Effect of transport stress on apoptosis and autophagy in goat lung cells. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Recovery of male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) after overland shipping

Ornamental fish shipped by road or rail may spend days in transit without food, leading to a reduction in somatic growth after transportation and during acclimatization. In the present study, a time-series (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Thongprajukaew, K., Malawa, S., Poolthajit, S. et al. 2025. Recovery of male Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens) after overland shipping. Animals 15(14), 2156.

Road transportation is associated with decreased intestinal motility in horses

Background Transportation of horses has been associated with colic and changes to the gastrointestinal microbiome. Percutaneous abdominal ultrasonography using wireless, point-of-care transducers can be used to assess gastrointestinal motility in field settings. Objectives Characterization of intestinal motility and salivary cortisol...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Raidal, S. L., Freccero, F., Carstens, A. et al. 2025. Road transportation is associated with decreased intestinal motility in horses. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Pre-transport salt baths mitigate physiological stress and tissue damage in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fingerlings: evidence from multi-biomarker assessment and histopathology

Effective transport strategies are critical for the survival and welfare of juvenile Ictalurus punctatus, but the effects of pre-transport salt bath treatments remain uncertain. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of pre-transport salt bath acclimation at 0‰ (S1),...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Huang, G., Li, H., Wang, J. et al. 2025. Pre-transport salt baths mitigate physiological stress and tissue damage in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fingerlings: Evidence from multi-biomarker assessment and histopathology. Animals 15(15), 2249.

IAT/LAVA Congress – Workshop on setting up and running a successful re-homing programme

In a recent survey of 41 UK research establishments, it was found that re-homing was undertaken by less than half of them and the number of re-homed animals was low.1 At the University of Strathclyde we have a wellestablished and...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Horan, L., Wilkinson, M. 2025. IAT/LAVA Congress – Workshop on setting up and running a successful re-homing programme. Animal Technology and Welfare 24(2), 127–130.

Effects of microclimate during transport on physiological indicators of market pig welfare: A systematic review with meta-analysis

During transportation, microclimatic conditions can fluctuate significantly, affecting pigs’ thermal comfort and leading to compromised welfare and production losses. Although numerous studies have examined the effects of heat stress during transport on pig welfare and meat quality, it remains unclear...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Hernandez, R. O., Rocha, A. O., Cai, C. et al. 2025. Effects of microclimate during transport on physiological indicators of market pig welfare: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.