Welfare and Clinical Assessment on Physical Captures Followed by Anesthesia in Apennine Chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata)

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) is a vulnerable subspecies, and creation of new colonies is required for its conservation. Capturing mountain ungulates is not only logistically challenging, but also requires careful planning and clinical monitoring in order to ensure animal welfare and survival. This study reports collective physical capture followed by anesthesia of 21 Apennine chamois for translocation with conservation purposes. The chamois were captured with up-net(®) (Fondazione Universitaria “Centro Ricerche sulla Gestione della fauna selvatica”—CE.RI.GE.FA.S., Sampeyre—CN) or box-traps, then anesthetized with medetomidine–ketamine–acepromazine and monitored with advanced field techniques, including venous blood gas analysis, which was used for the first time on mountain ungulates in Europe. Despite the risk of metabolic acidosis and catching myopathy, 19 chamois survived and adapted to the new environment to found new colonies, which were monitored through GPS radiocollar data of all released chamois. ABSTRACT: The Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) is one of the rarest subspecies in Italy, listed in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and currently included as a vulnerable subspecies in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The Maiella National Park population has recently been defined as a source population for reintroduction into other parks. Since collective captures allow for better selection of target animals for the establishment of new colonies, the aim of this study is to evaluate the physiological conditions and animal welfare in free-ranging Apennine chamois after collective physical capture followed by chemical immobilization with medetomidine 0.054 mg ± 0.007, ketamine 2.14 mg ± 0.28, and acepromazine 0.043 mg ± 0.006. Twenty-one Apennine chamois (18 females and 3 males) were captured and translocated for conservation purposes. The effects of capture and anesthesia were evaluated using clinical variables, hematology, serum biochemistry, and venous blood gas analysis, the latter being used in the field for the first time in chamois capture. A risk of metabolic acidosis and capture myopathy was identified, although it did not compromise the survival of 19 chamois, which adapted to novel environments and founded new colonies, as verified through GPS radiocollars. The protocol applied in this study represents an innovative approach to assessing animal physiology and welfare in collective mountain ungulate captures, useful for improving management activities for conservation purposes.