Veterinary concerns of captive duikers

In March 2000, professionals from various duiker-holding institutions conducted a workshop at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Wildlife Survival Center (WCS/WSC) on St. Catherine's Island entitled Husbandry, Nutrition, and Health of Captive Duikers. The product of this workshop was a suite of monographs, one of which dealt with veterinary issues and took the form of a series of veterinary guidelines. These guidelines are based on the general disease and management concerns of neonatal and adult duikers, and include: 1) preventive medicine recommendations with preshipment, quarantine, and routine physical examination protocols; 2)restraint and anesthesia recommendations; 3) a necropsy protocol; and 4) a summary of medical informational needs. The main intent of these protocols is to outline minimum standards of veterinary care and inquiry for duiker species in captivity. Eventually, this will result in the establishment of a consistent and comprehensive data base, from which future individuals will greatly benefit in the form of improved husbandry, nutrition, and medicine.