Effect of captivity on the blood composition of Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica)

Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad de Barcelona, Spain.

Blood analyses of seven free-ranging Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica hispanica) captured from the wild and then held in captivity were used to determine the physiological changes in some haematological parameters and serum chemistry values during captivity. The captive animals had a higher haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration and larger numbers of erythrocytes than the same animals when they were captured. In addition, the absolute numbers of leucocytes and lymphocytes decreased progressively during captivity. Significant differences were found for some of the biochemical variables between the captive ibex and free-ranging animals.