Всероссийский научно-исследовательский институт физиологии, биохимии и питания животных – филиал Федерального государственного бюджетного научного учреждения «Федеральный научный центр животноводства – ВИЖ имени академика Л.К. Эрнста»
ABSTRACT. The aim was to study the effect of anthropogenic factor on the formation of behavioral reactions in young sables of two phenotypically different farm populations. The studies were conducted during 4 months of growing period on populations of fur farms, located on the territory of the Moscow oblast. On each of the farms were formed by two experimental groups of females and males. Group I included 343 females and 189 males sables exposed during the growing period to permanent anthropogenic impact, in group II there were 667 females and 648 males, that had relatively rare contacts with the attendants. The behavioral response of sables was evaluated at 6 mo age by testing "on hand". By the manifestation of the behavioral reactions, the animals were divided into two groups, going to contact and avoiding contact (in a passive or active form). Animals that go to contact, were also divided into aggressive (negative reaction "-") and friendly (positive reaction "+"). Sables avoiding contact were rated as neutral "0". It was established that animals in both farms, avoiding contact with humans were predominate (from 42.2 to 76.3%), and sables with friendly behavior were more (by 11.0-12.1%) in groups exposed to prolonged anthropogenic impact, than in groups with rare contacts (P<0.01-0.001). Similar results were obtained from the combined data of two populations. As a whole, frequent contact of young animals with people during the growing period stimulated the formation of their neutral reaction to humans. In this connection, one can draw a conclusion about the favorable effect of anthropogenic impact on the process of domestication of sables.
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