Abstract
Fecal concentrations of progesterone (P_4), estradiol-17β (E_2) and testosterone (T) were measured and daily behaviors were recorded in a pair of Sumatran tigers. The fecal P_4 profile of the female indicated cyclic changes, and the cycle length was 58.3±2.7 days. The copulation interval was 58.0±4.0 days. When fecal P_4 contents were low and began to increase, the female's flehmen and exhibiting the tail area to the male were observed. Fecal E_2 contents in the female and T contents in the male tended to be high around the time when copulation was seen, but not always ; however, the male responded to the female estrous signs by vocalization, flehmen, chasing, mounting and copulation. It is possible to assess non-invasively reproductive activities by monitoring fecal P_4 concentrations in the female and the sexual behaviors of male and female Sumatran tigers.
