Field immobilization of Desert Bobcats (Lynx rufus) using a Tiletamine-Zolazepam anesthetic combination

Abstract Chemical immobilization is used to minimize stress and pain while safely handling wild animals under field conditions. Eight wild bobcats (Lynx rufus) were immobilized for radio collar fittings between March 2005 and March 2007, using a commercial tiletamine hydrochloride-zolazepam hydrochloride combination (Zoletil® Virbac, Carros, France). Bobcats were captured using soft catch spring traps (Victor No. 3) in the Sonoran Desert of Baja California Sur, Mexico. A mean (±SD) intramuscular total dose of 44.3 ± 2.9 mg (6.0 mg kg-1) produced an induction time of 9 ± 4.9 min, and a duration of cataleptic anesthesia of 46.5 ±11.4 min. No adverse reactions were observed in animals during handling, and telemetry monitoring indicated that all individuals were alive for at least one year after the procedure. The results of this study indicate that use of tiletamine-zolazepam administered at 6 mg/kg dose is suitable for short-term chemical immobilization of bobcats in the wild.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Romero-Figueroa,Guillermo, Rodríguez-Estrella,Ricardo, Tapia-Cabazos,Luz Adriana
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia 2020
Online Access:http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2448-67602020000400001
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