Upcoming Events
PhD Dissertation Proposal Defense - Environmental Science & Policy
Mar 28, 2024, 12:30 - 2:30 PM
Virtual - please contact espgrad@gmu.edu for Zoom meeting info
PhD Dissertation Proposal
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
College of Science
George Mason University
Candidate: Drew Arbogast
Defense Date and Time: Thursday, March 28 at 12:30PM
Defense Location: Virtual - contact espgrad@gmu.edu for Zoom link
Title: Individual and socio-environmental factors associated with behavioral and physiological biomarkers of wellbeing in rhinos ex situ
Dissertation Director: Dr. Elizabeth Freeman
Committee: Dr. David Luther, Dr. Kathleen Hunt, Dr. Lara Metrione
ABSTRACT
The critically endangered black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and the vulnerable white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) face extinction in the wild due to poaching for their horns. Ex situ conservation initiatives are now a critical tool for saving these species, and biomarker monitoring of zoo-based rhinos can reveal important health and wellbeing attributes. This study aims to validate three new rhino biomarkers—cortisol-dehydroepiandrosterone ratio (cortisol:DHEA), oxytocin, and oxidized guanosine—and to investigate how they relate to behavioral and socio-environmental conditions across 44 North American facilities. Results will help guide husbandry and breeding efforts and enhance the wellbeing of black and white rhinos.