ACTA THERIOLOGICA SINICA ›› 2023, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (1): 116-121.DOI: 10.16829/j.slxb.150574

• SCIENTIFIC NOTES • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Growth curve fitting and comparative analysis of hand-rearing cubs of African lion, Bengal tiger and leopard

OU Qianyun1,2, ZHANG Xueli1,2, CHEN Siming1,2, LUO Shenghui1,2, FANG Jing1,2, ZHANG Peng1,3, DONG Guixin1,3   

  1. 1 Guangdong Chimelong Group Co., Ltd., Guangzhou 511430, China;
    2 Guangzhou Chimelong Wildlife World, Guangzhou 511430, China;
    3 Guangdong South China Rare Wild Animal Species Conservation Center, Zhuhai 519000, China
  • Received:2021-06-15 Revised:2021-11-26 Published:2023-01-10

人工育幼非洲狮、孟加拉虎、豹幼仔的生长曲线拟合比较

区倩韵1,2, 张学礼1,2, 陈思明1,2, 罗盛辉1,2, 方婧1,2, 张鹏1,3, 董贵信1,3   

  1. 1 广东长隆集团有限公司, 广州 511430;
    2 广州长隆野生动物世界, 广州 511430;
    3 广东华南珍稀野生动物物种保护中心, 珠海 519000
  • 通讯作者: 董贵信,E-mail:caesar@chimelong.com
  • 作者简介:区倩韵(1994-),女,本科,主要从事野生动物饲养;张学礼(1967-),男,本科,主要从事野生动物饲养管理和疾病防治.
  • 基金资助:
    广东省长隆慈善基金会“推动迁地保护动物研究学术交流资助项目”

Abstract: In order to understand the growth patterns of African lion (Panthera leo leo) cubs, Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) cubs, and leopard (Panthera pardus) cubs, we analyzed the body weight of 17 hand-rearing African lion cubs, 15 hand-rearing Bengal tiger cubs and 10 hand-rearing leopard cubs. We found that their growth curve fitted the Logistic, Gompertz and Von Bertalanffy models, respectively. We also compared the growth and development trend of different species and the sexual difference of the same species based on the growth curve with ideal fitting effect. The results show that the Logistic model may ideally fit the growth curve of lion and tiger cubs from birth to about 100-day old and leopard cubs from birth to about 200-day old. The growth curves of African lion and Bengal tiger are similar, but there are significant differences between the growth curves of the two and the leopard. The growth curves of female and male African lion cubs are similar, but there are significant differences between the growth curves of female and male Bengal tiger and leopard cubs. These results summarize the early growth and development of African lions, Bengal tigers, and leopards, suggesting that the time of male-female difference in feline body weight growth might be related to the survival strategies and rearing methods of the species. This study could provide an important theoretical and practical basis for the conservation of large cat populations.

Key words: Growth curve, Hand rearing, African lion, Bengal tiger, Leopard

关键词: 生长曲线, 人工育幼, 非洲狮, 孟加拉虎,

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