Papers by Dr. Vinod Kumar
Global ecosystems and their constituent flora and fauna are experiencing a decline of biodiversit... more Global ecosystems and their constituent flora and fauna are experiencing a decline of biodiversity due to destruction of habitats, climate change, pollution, and invasive species. Of late, the number of species that have become critically endangered has increased extremely, and these species need to be protected from extinction in the wild. The conservation efforts should involve both in situ, and ex situ conservation and management of populations. Conservation physiology, an emerging multidisciplinary field, helps conservationists understand the physiological responses of endangered species due to the changes in the environment and thereby look for possible options of intervention to save them from extinction. This review summarizes various non-invasive hormone methods and endocrine studies involved in the conservation of endangered animals. The non-invasive hormone method has been successfully used in understanding basic reproductive biology, pregnancy diagnostics and welfare of a...
Current Science, 2014
The study reports some observations on reproductive biology of mouse deer ( Moschiola indica ) ma... more The study reports some observations on reproductive biology of mouse deer ( Moschiola indica ) maintained under the conservation breeding programme at the Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad. The conservation breeding programme was initiated with 6 individuals that bred in captivity reaching a total of 36 individuals within a three-year period. A total of 50 oestrus episodes were recorded from 11 females that resulted in 31 births. Females first gave birth at age of 304 days (mean = 318.6 ± 15.3 days, n = 5) and had an average gestation period of 154.1 ± 3.7 days. Females showed post-partum oestrus within 6 h of fawning, which resulted in successful mating. The present observations would help in enhancing knowledge on biology and behaviour of the species that can form the basis for its effective management.
Animals, 2021
The pygmy hog (Porcula salvania), until recently was classified as a critically endangered suid f... more The pygmy hog (Porcula salvania), until recently was classified as a critically endangered suid facing the threat of extinction due to habitat degradation. Efforts are being made to protect the pygmy hog from extinction and breed them in captivity under the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme (PHCP). However, very little information is available on the reproductive physiology of pygmy hogs. Therefore, the present study aims to standardize enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) for monitoring pregnancy and reproductive status using progesterone and testosterone metabolites. A total of 785 fecal samples were collected from five females and two males over a period of one year from the PHCP Research and Breeding Centre, Guwahati, Assam. High-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed the presence of immunoreactive progesterone and testosterone metabolites in feces. Mating was observed in all five females, and four of them gave birth successfully. We were able to detect pregnancy using fec...
Animals, 2019
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations, both in the wild and in captivity, have been contin... more Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations, both in the wild and in captivity, have been continually declining over the decades. The present study examined the physiological stress response of captive Asian elephants in relation to body condition score and different working conditions. A total of 870 dung samples of 37 captive elephants (24 males and 13 females) from four facilities were collected to examine fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations (fGCM). The elephants in forest camps with exposure to natural habitats had a higher body condition score than those in more confined spaces. Wild born elephants and females (except in one case) had higher concentrations of fGCM than captive born elephants and males, respectively. Elephants engaged in the Dussehra festival had elevated fGCM concentrations than their counterparts at Mysore zoo. We recommend a few management practices for the long-term survival of rapidly declining captive elephant populations.
Conservation Physiology, 2019
Tigers continue to face unprecedented threats to their existence due to poaching, habitat loss, h... more Tigers continue to face unprecedented threats to their existence due to poaching, habitat loss, habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances. The present study examines the physiological stress response of tigers due to anthropogenic activities including wildlife tourism in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Kanha Tiger Reserve using faecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) measurement. We collected a total of 341 faecal samples from both reserves during tourism and non-tourism periods. Data on various anthropogenic disturbances including tourism activities like number of vehicles and visitors were also collected. We ascertained the species identity and sex of all the samples collected using genetic markers. fGCMs were extracted using a previously reported procedure, and fGCM concentrations were subsequently determined using an established enzyme immunoassay. There was no significant difference in overall mean fGCM concentrations between the two tiger reserves, but within each res...
Animals, 2019
India, the country with the largest population of dairy cows in the world, has a policy of retiri... more India, the country with the largest population of dairy cows in the world, has a policy of retiring abandoned and non-lactating cows in shelters, but the level of provision for their welfare in these shelters is unclear. Cows in 54 shelters across India were assessed for historic evidence of physiological stress, through determination of hair cortisol in 540 samples from 10 cows in each shelter by enzyme immunoassay. Animal-based and shelter resource-based welfare measures were recorded and correlations with the hair cortisol investigated by multivariable analysis. High hair cortisol concentrations were associated with dung in the lying area of the cowshed, a low dry bulb temperature there and little cow access to yards, as shelter-based variables. At a cow level, high hair cortisol concentrations were associated with dirty flanks, hock joint ulceration, carpal joint injuries, body lesions, dehydration, an empty rumen, old age, and low levels of body hair loss. Hair cortisol level p...
PloS one, 2015
Non-invasive monitoring of hormones using feces has become a vital tool for reproductive manageme... more Non-invasive monitoring of hormones using feces has become a vital tool for reproductive management and reliable pregnancy diagnosis in big cats. Previous studies described the PGF2α metabolite (PGFM) as an indicator of pregnancy in various feline species. The present study aimed to standardize pregnancy detection in big cats like the tiger (Panthera tigris), jaguar (Panthera onca) and lion (Panthera leo) using fecal samples. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) were performed to identify PGFM in feces. An EIA developed against 9α,11α-dihydroxy-15-oxo-prost-5-en-1-oic acid-BSA was used to assay PGFM in fecal samples of the Bengal tiger, Asiatic lion and jaguar. The PGFM levels increased after 9 weeks of pregnancy and remained elevated until parturition. All animals showed elevated levels of PGFM in the last trimester of pregnancy, thus making PGFM a reliable tool for pregnancy diagnosis during this period that can be useful...
Detection of pregnancy and fertility status in big cats using an enzyme immunoassay based on 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one
General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2013
Development of non-invasive steroid hormone assays using fecal samples is crucial for detection o... more Development of non-invasive steroid hormone assays using fecal samples is crucial for detection of pregnancy and monitoring of fertility status in big cats and thus facilitates conservation and management of wild animals. Due to changes in metabolism and excretory pattern, animals excrete different steroid metabolites in feces and urine. The present study is an attempt to develop a common enzyme immunoassay for 5α-pregnan-3α-ol-20-one one of the predominant progestogen metabolites in the feces samples of big cats. The developed ELISA showed a high sensitivity and low cross reactivity to other hormones compared to commercially available RIA kits based on progesterone antibody. It could be used in a wide range of animals for monitoring fertility status and pregnancy detection by measuring fecal steroid metabolites.
Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance... more Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance and quality. In response, ungulates show varying degrees of synchrony in reproduction. Diet type has been hypothesized to be a determinant of differences in reproductive synchrony. Analyses at global scales using proxies of plant phenology such as climate, latitude and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have found no evidence in support because such proxies do not capture differences in phenology among plant taxa at local scales. We compared seasonal variations in diet quality with reproductive synchrony in the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), a browser, and the Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), a grazer, in mid-altitude Himalaya. We also compared seasonal variations in physiological stress using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM). We identified different stages of female reproductive cycle using fecal concentrations of metabolites of estradiol, pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) and testosterone and used fecal crude protein (CP) as an indicator of diet quality. In musk deer, fecal estradiol and PdG concentrations showed a dispersed estrous and parturition, respectively. Goral had a more synchronized estrous and parturition. Estrous cycles in both species occurred when diet quality was poor, but parturition occurred when diet quality was high. Greater seasonality in reproduction in goral is driven by sharp phenological changes in graminoids on which it feeds, compared to slow changes in browse on which musk deer feeds. Thus, we show that diet type drives the differences in reproductive synchrony in these two sympatric species. Spring and summer with highest diet quality were times of highest stress in both the ungulates. We hypothesize predation pressure from feral dogs and resource competition with livestock as plausible explanations for this, which need to be tested in future. Our findings also highlight the need for studying relationships among plant phenology, diet type and reproductive biology of ungulates at local scales if we are to understand species responses to global phenomena such as climate change.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Background: W ildlife tourism has been shown to increase stress in a variety of species and can n... more Background: W ildlife tourism has been shown to increase stress in a variety of species and can negatively affect the survival, reproduction, welfare, and behaviour of individuals. The use of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites has favoured the development of noninvasive methods to study physiological conditions and could aid in successful and effective strategies for the management and conservation of endangered species. Methods: An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary inclusion of live microbial cultures to find patterns of physiological stress hormone in faeces of 18 safari Asian elephants of 30-62 years age and body weight (3495 ± 133.34 Kg) for two months. They were randomly divided into three groups, with six elephants in each, i.e. control with no probiotic (T 1) and the other two with probiotics, which contained 1 × 10 9 CFU/g concentrate of Lactobacillus acidophilus (T 2) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (T 3) @ every 50 kg body weight per day. Faecal samples were taken on 0, 30 th , 40 th and 50 th day of the experiment. Result: It was observed that the mean faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, demonstrated by the elephants of T 2 and T 3 groups were not significantly (P>0.05) different from the control group (T 1) and remained unaffected on the supplementation of live microbial cultures.
Livestock grazing in protected areas is known to affect wild species. In this study, we examined ... more Livestock grazing in protected areas is known to affect wild species. In this study, we examined fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Concentration (fGCM) and gastrointestinal parasite prevalence in blue sheep populations of Spiti valley, Himalayas. We collected 156 fecal samples of blue sheep from areas under intense livestock grazing and areas without small livestock during 2014-15. We also collected 27 fecal samples from livestock to examine parasite prevalence. We found that blue sheep in livestock-grazed areas had higher fGCM than non-grazed areas. Similarly, parasite prevalence was higher in areas with presence of cattle. Overall, adult females were more affected by disturbance and grazing compared to males and young ones. This is the first study to document the physiological stress response of wild ungulates to livestock grazing in Indian sub-continent. We suggest management recommendations to set aside pastures for exclusive use by wild blue sheep, regularly deworm livestock, and decrease the stray dog population.
Anurans (frogs and toads) expelled urine when handled and it could provide insights into their ph... more Anurans (frogs and toads) expelled urine when handled and it could provide insights into their physiological status. However, storage, preservation and transportation are often challenging. The study aimed to standardize and validate a field method for short-term storage and preserve of anuran urine samples using Whatman filter papers. To examine the efficacy of storage conditions and type of papers, urinary based enzyme immunoassays were used to measure progesterone and testosterone hormone metabolites. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography was performed and revealed immunoreactive progesterone and testosterone metabolites in the urine samples. Urinary hormone metabolites concentration stored in filter paper at room temperature and control samples stored in-20 °C for the same period were similar. Whatman grade 50 was found to be more suitable for storage of hormones than grade 3 paper for the experiments performed. • A cheap and simple storage method for storage of anuran urine in field conditions using filter papers. • Anuran urine could be preserved and transported under ambient conditions without significant changes and loss of hormones. • This method would facilitate the endocrine monitoring of anurans in remote areas where limited logistics are available.
PLOS ONE, 2019
Application of different antibodies and extraction methods results in a wide range of steroid met... more Application of different antibodies and extraction methods results in a wide range of steroid metabolite concentrations obtained during noninvasive hormones monitoring. It makes regional comparisons of steroid concentration very difficult. We compared three methods for extraction of glucocorticoids metabolites in tiger feces to examine correct stress level in Bengal and Amur tigers in India and Russia respectively. The results obtained with three different extraction methods correlate with each other positively and significantly. The highest concentration of fecal glucocorticoids metabolites (FGCM) was found after the extraction of wet feces samples with 90% methanol. The level of FGCM was significantly higher in Bengal tigers in India than in Amur tigers in Russian Far East. The reasons might be related to tigers' density or anthropogenic pressure.
Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance... more Ungulates in higher latitudes and altitudes experience sharp seasonal changes in forage abundance and quality. In response, ungulates show varying degrees of synchrony in reproduction. Diet type has been hypothesized to be a determinant of differences in reproductive synchrony. Analyses at global scales using proxies of plant phenology such as climate, latitude and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) have found no evidence in support because such proxies do not capture differences in phenology among plant taxa at local scales. We compared seasonal variations in diet quality with reproductive synchrony in the Himalayan musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster), a browser, and the Himalayan goral (Naemorhedus goral), a grazer, in mid-altitude Himalaya. We also compared seasonal variations in physiological stress using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM). We identified different stages of female reproductive cycle using fecal concentrations of metabolites of estradiol, pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) and testosterone and used fecal crude protein (CP) as an indicator of diet quality. In musk deer, fecal estradiol and PdG concentrations showed a dispersed estrous and parturition, respectively. Goral had a more synchronized estrous and parturition. Estrous cycles in both species occurred when diet quality was poor, but parturition occurred when diet quality was high. Greater seasonality in reproduction in goral is driven by sharp phenological changes in graminoids on which it feeds, compared to slow changes in browse on which musk deer feeds. Thus, we show that diet type drives the differences in reproductive synchrony in these two sympatric species. Spring and summer with highest diet quality were times of highest stress in both the ungulates. We hypothesize predation pressure from feral dogs and resource competition with livestock as plausible explanations for this, which need to be tested in future. Our findings also highlight the need for studying relationships among plant phenology, diet type and reproductive biology of ungulates at local scales if we are to understand species responses to global phenomena such as climate change.
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY
Livestock grazing in protected areas is known to affect wild species. In this study, we examined ... more Livestock grazing in protected areas is known to affect wild species. In this study, we examined fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Concentration (fGCM) and gastrointestinal parasite prevalence in blue sheep populations of Spiti valley, Himalayas. We collected 156 fecal samples of blue sheep from areas under intense livestock grazing and areas without small livestock during 2014-15. We also collected 27 fecal samples from livestock to examine parasite prevalence. We found that blue sheep in livestock-grazed areas had higher fGCM than non-grazed areas. Similarly, parasite prevalence was higher in areas with presence of cattle. Overall, adult females were more affected by disturbance and grazing compared to males and young ones. This is the first study to document the physiological stress response of wild ungulates to livestock grazing in Indian sub-continent. We suggest management recommendations to set aside pastures for exclusive use by wild blue sheep, regularly deworm livestock, and decrease the stray dog population.
Anurans (frogs and toads) expelled urine when handled and it could provide insights into their ph... more Anurans (frogs and toads) expelled urine when handled and it could provide insights into their physiological status. However, storage, preservation and transportation are often challenging. The study aimed to standardize and validate a field method for short-term storage and preserve of anuran urine samples using Whatman filter papers. To examine the efficacy of storage conditions and type of papers, urinary based enzyme immunoassays were used to measure progesterone and testosterone hormone metabolites. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography was performed and revealed immunoreactive progesterone and testosterone metabolites in the urine samples. Urinary hormone metabolites concentration stored in filter paper at room temperature and control samples stored in-20 °C for the same period were similar. Whatman grade 50 was found to be more suitable for storage of hormones than grade 3 paper for the experiments performed. • A cheap and simple storage method for storage of anuran urine in field conditions using filter papers. • Anuran urine could be preserved and transported under ambient conditions without significant changes and loss of hormones. • This method would facilitate the endocrine monitoring of anurans in remote areas where limited logistics are available.
PloS one, 2015
Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habitat los... more Tiger (Panthera tigris), an endangered species, is under severe threat from poaching, habitat loss, prey depletion and habitat disturbance. Such factors have been reported causing local extermination of tiger populations including in one of the most important reserves in India, namely Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) in northwestern India. Consequently, tigers were reintroduced in STR between 2008 and 2010, but inadequate breeding success was observed over the years, thus invoking an investigation to ascertain physiological correlates. In the present study, we report glucocorticoid stress responses of the reintroduced tigers in relation to anthropogenic disturbance in the STR from 2011 to 2013. We found anthropogenic disturbance such as encounter rates of livestock and humans, distance to roads and efforts to kill domestic livestock associated with an elevation in fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations in the monitored tigers. In this regard, female tigers seem more sensit...
Simple Summary: Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations were examined in captive As... more Simple Summary: Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (fGCM) concentrations were examined in captive Asian elephants in relation to sex, body condition score, and working conditions. A total of 870 samples from 37 elephants in four elephant facilities were collected. We used a cortisol enzyme immunoassay for quantification of fGCM concentrations in fecal samples. Mean fGCM varied significantly across elephant facilities. Female elephants born in the wild exhibited elevated fGCM concentrations across all the facilities compared to males and captive-born elephants. Abstract: Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations, both in the wild and in captivity, have been continually declining over the decades. The present study examined the physiological stress response of captive Asian elephants in relation to body condition score and different working conditions. A total of 870 dung samples of 37 captive elephants (24 males and 13 females) from four facilities were collected to examine fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations (fGCM). The elephants in forest camps with exposure to natural habitats had a higher body condition score than those in more confined spaces. Wild born elephants and females (except in one case) had higher concentrations of fGCM than captive born elephants and males, respectively. Elephants engaged in the Dussehra festival had elevated fGCM concentrations than their counterparts at Mysore zoo. We recommend a few management practices for the long-term survival of rapidly declining captive elephant populations.
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Papers by Dr. Vinod Kumar