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From September 2005 to March 2006 a zoo study was performed with one male and two female rhinos at Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch. The study had two aims: (1) to assess whether faeces from unfamiliar rhinos carry information that influences the behaviour of adult rhinos in a zoo habitat, and (2) to identify olfactory constituents of the faeces that potentially stimulate the change in behaviour. Faeces samples were collected from seven male, female, and juvenile rhinos residing at Hamilton and Auckland zoos and from one male rhino held in a separate enclosure at Orana Park. From each sample type six individual samples of 2 kg each were collected. The samples were put in plastic bags and kept frozen at -1O℃. As controls, samples from peat, peat with testosterone, and heated faeces were used. An individual thawed sample was presented at a time to the subjects by placing it into the enclosure. Behaviour and positions of the subjects was monitored for 3 h. In addition weather data was collected. Each exposure test of one sample type consisted of at least six observation sessions during which one two-kg dung specimen was presented to the subjects in the Orana Park enclosure. Each session consisted of nine trial periods of 15 min, during which each subject was observed individually and all actions ofthe animal were recorded. There was a strong response of the subjects to faeces from male donors. The bull reacted with increased frequency of spray urinating. The bull habituated to the faecal stimulus within about an hour. Other strongly affected behaviour categories of all subjects included smelling the ground, scanning, and walking. The distance between the subjects and frequency of synchronous behaviour of the subjects was affected by various samples to a lesser degree. Correlation of faecal compounds with territorial behaviour activities and chemical analysis identified possible signalling compounds such as esters of low molecular weight fatty acids (propanoic, butanoic, and pentanoic acids) and perhaps testosterone and terpenoids. Even simulated control samples consisting of peat impregnated with testosterone initiated some response. Overall, faecal scent marks were found to stimulate multifaceted behavioural effects of captive white rhinoceros. Chemical analyses of faeces identified new olfactory components not previously attributed to male faeces, and which could act as male signalling compounds.

Nest success, feeding behavior and anti-predator strategies, were studied to determine if bellbirds (Anthornis melanura) are limited by predation and if pest control can relieve the pressures of predation so that food supply may become a limiting factor for bellbirds. The nest success of bellbirds at the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP), Nelson Lakes, New Zealand (2002-2004 breeding seasons) was compared with data from other bellbird nest success studies in New Zealand. Two years of nest monitoring resulted in a low overall nest success at the RNRP (39 %), an area low in predator density, compared with 16.4 - 67.2 % found for other sites. One-way anova comparisons between the nest success of bellbirds in areas grouped by predator density (absent, low and high) were not significantly different. Regression analyses of nest success versus predator density (stoat or rat tracking indicies) were also not significant. A test of change in bellbird numbers (numbers in February/numbers in November in the same breeding season) versus rat density (tracking index in November) showed no significant trend at the RNRP. A test of density dependence (change in bellbird numbers versus numbers in November) was also not significant. The percent of time bellbirds spent feeding was significantly higher at the RNRP compared to Mt. Misery (Nelson Lakes, New Zealand) during the breeding season only (RNRP = 34 % and Mt. Misery = 23 %). The percent of time bellbirds spent foraging for food was also significantly higher at the RNRP compared to Mt. Misery during the breeding seasons (RNRP = 47 % and Mt. Misery = 36 %). This suggests that predator control at the RNRP has allowed bellbird numbers to increase so that nesting success may be partly limited by food supply during the breeding season. However, despite higher densities of bellbird and other bird species at the RNRP, there was no difference in the percent of time spent feeding (RNRP = 36.7 % and Mt. Misery = 36.3 %) or foraging (RNRP = 49 % and Mt. Misery = 51 %) between the RNRP and Mt. Misery during winter months The nest height of bellbirds was not significantly related to the nest outcome (excluding nests that failed due to non-predation causes) at either the RNRP or Kowhai Bush. Nest predation occurred at a range of heights, which suggests introduced predators are not specialists at any nest height. Bellbirds at the RNRP 111 visited their nests more frequently and stayed for shorter periods at the nest compared with bellbirds at the Cheeseman Valley, consistent with the hypothesis bellbirds alter their behavior to avoid disclosing their nest position. The results of this study, although not significant, do indicate that bellbird nest success is limited by high densities of predators. One-way anova analysis on nest success during the feeding stage was nearly significant (P = 0.096). Regression analysis trend lines show an increased negative effect on nest success at higher predator densities. Few replicates and large variation in nesting success within treatments affect the power of the results. Bellbirds may persist in areas with high predator densities due to anti-predator strategies when visiting their nests. With pest control, ecosystem interactions may be revitalized so that limiting factors other than predation become important for bellbird nest success.

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