Diurnal and Nocturnal Behaviour of Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and Lions (Panthera leo) in Zoos

Simple Summary To date, few studies have examined both night-time and daytime behaviour of lions and cheetahs in zoos. To gain a deeper understanding of behavioural rhythms, this knowledge needs to be expanded. In our study, light was a strong influencing factor leading to different diurnal and nocturnal activity budgets. During the day, both species were significantly more active than during the night. These daily activity peaks correlated with feeding time. At night, lions showed increased resting behaviour with long sleep phases averaging more than 75 min per sleep event. Sleep phases are defined as minutes per sleep event with the animal's body and head lying on the ground. The number of sleep phases, however, dropped slightly compared to the day. Cheetahs also had a higher length of sleep phases at night than during the day, although the increase was smaller than in lions. However, the number of sleep phases was significantly higher than during the day in all animals. Our results show that the behavioural rhythms of lions and cheetahs differ significantly during the day and night. The results show that studies that take into account 24-h rhythms are well suited to measure diurnal rhythms and, based on this, possibly derive statements on management and husbandry. Mammals are constantly exposed to exogenous and endogenous influences that affect their behaviour and daily activity. Light and temperature, as well as anthropogenic factors such as husbandry routines, visitors, and feeding schedules are potential influences on animals in zoological gardens. In order to investigate the effects of some of these factors on animal behaviour, observational studies based on the analyses of activity budgets can be used. In this study, the daily and nightly activity budgets of six lions (Panthera leo) and five cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from four EAZA institutions were investigated. Focused on the influencing factor light and feeding, we analysed these activity budgets descriptively. Behaviour was recorded and analysed during the winter months over an observation period of 14 days and 14 nights using infrared-sensitive cameras. Our results show that lions and cheetahs exhibit activity peaks at crepuscular and feeding times, regardless of husbandry. Thus, lions in captivity shift nocturnal behaviour familiar from the wild to crepuscular and diurnal times. In cheetahs, in contrast, captive and wild individuals show similar 24 h behavioural rhythms. The resting behaviour of both species is more pronounced at night, with cheetahs having a shorter overall sleep duration than lions. This study describes the results of the examined animals and is not predictive. Nevertheless, the results of this study make an important contribution to gaining knowledge about possible factors influencing the behaviour of lions and cheetahs in zoos and offer implications that could be useful for improving husbandry and management.

Automated summary

This study investigates the day-time and night-time behavior of lions and cheetahs in zoos and finds that light and feeding time play a significant role in their behavior rhythms. The results suggest that taking into account 24-hour rhythms can help improve management and husbandry practices. This study makes a valuable contribution to understanding the factors influencing lion and cheetah behavior in zoos.