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A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF CAPTIVE NORTHERN BALD IBIS (GERONTICUS EREMITA), AFRICAN SACRED IBIS (THRESKIORNIS AETHIOPICUS), AND SCARLET IBIS (EUDOCIMUS RUBER) HOUSED AT THE LONDON ZOO FROM 2000 TO 2020

McCreesh, K; Yaffy, D; Spiro, S; Patterson, S; Guthrie, AL

Authors

K McCreesh

D Yaffy

S Spiro

S Patterson

AL Guthrie



Abstract

Necropsy (n 1/4 144) and medical (n 1/4 121) records of captive northern bald ibis (NBI; Geronticus eremita), African sacred ibis (ASI; Threskiornis aethiopicus), and scarlet ibis (SCI; Eudocimus ruber) housed at the Zoological Society of London's London Zoo (LZ) from 2000 to 2020 were reviewed. Pododermatitis was a common cause of morbidity in all species (79 cases in 247 examinations). Trauma (58 of 144), the majority being caused by suspected collisions with stationary objects in the zoo's habitats, infectious diseases (32 of 144), predominantly valvular endocarditis (10 of 32), and aspergillosis (9 of 32) were major causes of mortality. The odds of a morbidity being related to toxicosis were 4.4 times greater in NBI than for ASI (95% CI, 1.5-13.3; P < 0.05); all cases in the NBI were plumbism. Overall, females of all species had 3.4 times greater odds of undetermined morbidity than males (95% CI, 1.5-7.9; P < 0.05), and the majority (16 of 25) were birds that were thin without an apparent cause. Nestlings had 11.3 times greater odds of nutritional morbidity than adults (95% CI, 1.7-73.0) and 5.5 times greater than juveniles (95% CI, 0.7-41.0; P < 0.05). These data have identified areas that require further study in the population of NBI, ASI, and SCI held at LZ.

Citation

McCreesh, K., Yaffy, D., Spiro, S., Patterson, S., & Guthrie, A. (2023). A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY OF CAPTIVE NORTHERN BALD IBIS (GERONTICUS EREMITA), AFRICAN SACRED IBIS (THRESKIORNIS AETHIOPICUS), AND SCARLET IBIS (EUDOCIMUS RUBER) HOUSED AT THE LONDON ZOO FROM 2000 TO 2020. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 54(1), 94-101. https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0167

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Oct 13, 2022
Online Publication Date Mar 20, 2023
Publication Date 2023
Deposit Date Jun 9, 2023
Print ISSN 1042-7260
Electronic ISSN 1937-2825
Publisher American Association of Zoo Veterinarians
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 54
Issue 1
Pages 94-101
DOI https://doi.org/10.1638/2021-0167
Keywords LEAD