Researchers from universities in Aberystwyth and Portsmouth have published the first large-scale study to identify whichof hoofed animals, known as ungulates, are better suited to captive environments, and which require better husbandry if kept in captivity.
Specifically, species most at risk from stress-related habits are browsers , such as camels, okapis and rhinos, or are promiscuous, like buffalos, yaks, sheep and pigs. The academics also concluded that animals in captivity that do not have constant access to food are highly prone toStudy co-author Dr. Sebastian McBride from Aberystwyth University said,"Our data suggest that features of both a species' wild behavioral biology andare predictive of these stereotypic behaviors in ungulates.