Measurement of fecal sex steroids and cortisol and observation of behavior in female wild cats kept under human care
feline females, reproduction, stress, captivity
The present study evaluated 4 wild feline females residing at the Jardim Zoológico de Brasília, two Pumas (Puma concolor), a Northern Tiger Cat (Leopardus tigrinus) and a jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi). These females had their behavior observed daily for a period of approximately 4 months, during which feces samples were also collected for dosage of steroid hormone metabolites (estrogen, progesterone and cortisol). The obtained data describe events related to the reproductive physiology of these females, correlating the behavior with the hormonal dosages, as well as aspects related to stress. This work provides information about these three species of wild cats native to the Brazilian fauna, contributing to the little knowledge available about species of wild cats kept under human care.