Relocation & Transport

Impact of different controlled temperature and humidity conditions on the behaviour, posture and spatial needs in fattening rabbits

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thermal conditions on the posture and behaviour of fattening rabbits and to determine the minimum space allowance and height required in a transport container to allow for thermoregulatory behaviours. Thirty-six rabbits (2.27...

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

Citation: Contreras-Jodar, A., Dalmau, A., Bagaria, M. et al. 2025. Impact of different controlled temperature and humidity conditions on the behaviour, posture and spatial needs in fattening rabbits. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Effect of space allowance and transport container height on the welfare of fattening rabbits under different environmental thermal conditions

This study evaluated the combined effects of container space allowance, height, and ambient thermal conditions on the welfare of fattening rabbits during simulated transport. Nine hundred rabbits were exposed to three space allowances (121, 150, and 191 cm2/kg; S121, S150,...

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

Citation: Contreras-Jodar, A., Dalmau, A., Bagaria, M. et al. 2025. Effect of space allowance and transport container height on the welfare of fattening rabbits under different environmental thermal conditions. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

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: Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Identification Method, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Relocation & Transport, Reproduction, RestraintAnimal 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 (pp. 381–407). Springer International Publishing.

Decision trees for determining the fate of laboratory animals

Facilities involved in laboratory animal research often face ethical challenges such as: what should I do with the animals that are no longer suitable for experimental purposes? One of the common answers to this question is to kill them. And...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Euthanasia, Relocation & Transport, ReproductionAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Reshetnykov, M., Stumm, K., Zwick, M. et al. 2025. Decision trees for determining the fate of laboratory animals. Laboratory Animals 59(2), 157–168.

Cortisol and catecholamine concentrations are affected by repeated relocations of adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

In captive primate facilities, relocations—moves, within the facility, from one cage to another—can be common events. On the one hand, relocations are generally regarded as relatively benign events, as past studies have generally shown only transient elevations in cortisol concentrations...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Capitanio, J. P., Tancredi, D. J., Zarrabi, J. et al. 2025. Cortisol and catecholamine concentrations are affected by repeated relocations of adult female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). American Journal of Primatology 87(6), e70050.

Stress induced by fishing in common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and relative impact on its use as an experimental model (2025)

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), among coleoid cephalopods, has evolved the most complex nervous system and sophisticated behaviors. Historically, O. vulgaris was a key animal model for neurophysiology research, and today, it is studied for its genomic innovations. However, unlike...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cephalopod, Invertebrate

Citation: Maselli, V., Norcia, M., Pinto, B. et al. 2025. Stress induced by fishing in common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and relative impact on its use as an experimental model. Animals 15(4), 503.

A new therapy to alleviate the inflammatory injury of piglet intestine caused by short-distance transportation—music (2025)

The purpose of this study was to explore whether music can reduce stress in animals by regulating the activity of the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal cortex (HPA) axis and reducing the concentration of cortisol. The control group was not played with...

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

Citation: Fu, Q., Bai, B., Zhou, S. et al. 2025. A new therapy to alleviate the inflammatory injury of piglet intestine caused by short-distance transportation—Music. PLOS ONE 20(2), e0313354.

Investigating the effect a single dose of cannabidiol has on measures of stress in cats when being transported in a carrier and meeting a novel person in an unfamiliar environment

Domestic cats (Felis Catus) are often exposed to stimuli that have the potential to negatively impact their welfare. These can include situations such as veterinary visits, travel, changes to their home environment, and interactions with unfamiliar people or pets. Cannabidiol...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Cat

Citation: Weller, J. E., Flint, H. E., Hunt, A. B. G. et al. 2024. Investigating the effect a single dose of cannabidiol has on measures of stress in cats when being transported in a carrier and meeting a novel person in an unfamiliar environment. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.

Living the good life? A systematic review of behavioural signs of affective state in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) and factors relating to quality of life

Quality of life is dependent upon the extent to which behavioural needs are met, and the balance between pleasant and unpleasant lifetime experiences. In Part II of this systematic review, articles (n = 109) relating to horse-human interactions were reviewed...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Handling, Human-Animal Interaction, Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Hall, C., Kay, R. 2024. Living the good life? A systematic review of behavioural signs of affective state in the domestic horse (Equus caballus) and factors relating to quality of life. Part 2: Horse-human interactions. Animal Welfare 33, e41.

Determination of an acclimation period for swine in biomedical research

Swine are widely used models in biomedical research due to their physiologic and anatomic similarities to humans. During transport from vendors to research facilities, pigs are subject to a number of stressors, including environmental, social, and stress as a result...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Relocation & TransportAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Maxwell, A. R., Castell, N. J., Brockhurst, J. K. et al. 2024. Determination of an acclimation period for swine in biomedical research. JAALAS 63(6), 651–654.