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` The knowledge of animal behaviour is important since the primitive

societies.

` More than 10,000 years ago, hunters and gatherers need a good

understanding of animal (wildlife) behaviour in order to survive,

especially when hunting large and dangerous animals.

`

Such understanding and relationship with animals exists till thepresent times, more so when we domesticate wild animals for our

benefits; serve as companion animals, as food and clothing, as

pets, as a means of transportation, as experimental animals and for

entertainment. Understanding of farm and wild animal behaviour is

important to the consumer, farmer, pet owner, zoo keeper, park

manager, wildlife managers, farm manager, veterinarian andscientist.

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` Understanding animal behaviour began with the theory of

fitness (evolution due to natural selection) by Charles Darwin

and Alfred Wallace in 1858.

` Dispersal of young animals, habitat selection, feeding,

breeding, territoriality, daily and seasonal activities, migration,

activity patterns are among the types of behaviour that holds astrong implication for wild and domestic animal management.

` Some of the early ethologists include Herbert Spencer, Alfred

Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin, G. J. Romanes, and William

James, Konrad Lorenz (greylag geese and jackdaws) and

Nikolaas Tinbergen. Present well known ethologist include

Jane Goodall (chimpanzee), Dian Fossey (gorilla) and Birute

Gladikas (orang utan).

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` Brightly coloured bill, yellow with red spot

on lower mandible near the tip

` Mother approaches nest with chicks,

stands over chicks and taps bill on the

ground, reveal red spot on lower bill,

chicks stimulated, pecks red spot, motherregurgitates food in front of it.

` Scientific study chicks are provided with

heads and bill of various shapes and

colours.

` Finding-Colour is insignificant. Why?

` Chicks attracted to red spot and

narrowness of bill etc.

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` Eisner and Wilson, 1975 - Study of the entire behavior pattern on an

animal in its natural surrounding with emphasis on its function and

evolutionary history.

` Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen - emphasize the study of

natural behavior of animals.

` Comparative psychologists - behavior in artificial laboratory

situations.

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` Ethology covers a very wide scope without limitations and is

operational in three dimensions where studies are focused.

` Animal behaviour exists at various levels species to individuals;

micro to macro and field to laboratory.

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` Phenotype = particular behaviour observed is influenced by

genotype (innate, inborn) and the environment (physiological status,

general environment, recent events, stimuli or lack of stimuli, level of

nutrition, health, experience and learning).

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` Assist better management of farm, laboratory and wild animals.

Designing better environment for the animals.

` Eliminate or reduce stress in captive animals.

` Diagnose diseases understanding of behavioural patterns made

by animals is an important part of diagnosis (eg. Dog withabdominal pain because it assumes an abnormal posture with rump

high and head low or horse kicking at belly is indicative of colic).

` Assess animal emotional state or temperament helps in restraint

and examination (manual or tranquilization; nocturnal versus

diurnal).

` Moral stance consumers of animal products.

` Animal welfare legislation.

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` Communicating with animals and understanding the messages they

are sending is vital to animal husbandry and disease diagnosis and

veterinary medicine.

`

Animal communicates not only by auditory signals (hearing) as inhumans but also by visual (sight), vocal (sound) and olfaction

(smell).

` Example?