Change in oestradiol-17β content and behaviors in female cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus in response to changes in captivity conditions

Abstract

In this study, we observed the behavior and measured fecal oestradiol-17β content in four captive females. To investigate the influence of voice and odor of other cheetahs on the behavior and physiology of females, a group of cheetahs was released daily, one at a time, alternatively into an outdoor enclosure. Changing to the release of one male and one female, from the release of two females at a time, was associated with an increase in the oestradiol-17β content and behavior in female cheetahs. We divided the period by the presence or absence of nursing individuals to investigate the reproductive status of a female or the effect of one estrous female on another. When nursing females were kept in the same institution both behavior and oestradiol-17β level of other females increased. When nursing cheetahs weren’t kept in the same institution, the behavior of other females showed random fluctuations, and oestradiol-17β became inactive. We suggest that the estrous condition of a female cheetah is induced by the olfactory contact with males. Moreover, the presence of a pregnant or nursing female in the same institution may also influence the physiology and behavior of other females in the same institution.