Corso di Laurea in Produzioni e Gestione degli Animali in Allevamento e Selvatici - PGAAS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES.  The course contributes to the teaching objective of PGAAS Bachelor Degree by providing knowledge related to the i) conservation and management of free-living populations of terrestrial mammals, ii) management of the health interactions between wild animals, livestock production and man, iii) methods for census, capture and transport wild animals.

It is believed that a further training objective is to provide students with cultural tools, language and a first exposure to the field reality necessary for the understanding, monitoring and future management of the most common problems in wildlife management.

EXPECTED LEARNING RESULTS. Students are expected to gain competence in addressing  wildlife conservation and management related issues.

In parallel, students are expected to the acquire the competences listed in the course Portfolio, items PARAS. 10-24.

TEACHING METHODS. The course is composed of 10 CFU (120 hours overall). Of these, 48 hours are lectures and 72 are practical work. Practical work (held at institutions involved in wildlife management and conservation) is structured as follows: 72 hours in form of field work (census sessions, captures, field necropsies and other activities, according to opportunities). 

Attendance to practical work is mandatory for at least 50%.

EVALUATION OF LEARNING. The assessment is carried out by means of a written test; when passed, this is followed by an oral test to be held on the same day (or, possibly, on the following days). The written test, aimed at establishing the theoretical knowledge, consists of open questions or multiple-choice questions related to the contents of the MD Fundamentals of wildlife management. Sufficiency in this test is reached with 18/30. 

The oral exam, aimed at ascertaining the aptitude for problem solving, consists of three questions, one on MD Fundamentals of Wildlife management, one on MD Monitoring and health management of fauna and another on MD Use of the drug in wildlife management. The student has to answer all questions in a convincing way. The sufficiency in the oral test is reached with 18/30.

An interim test will be offered at the end of the for the MD Use of the drug in wildlife management. If passed, the student will be exonerate students from answering the corresponding question on occasion of the oral exam.

SUPPORT ACTIVITIES. Pre-exam review for MD Use of the drug in wildlife management.

PROGRAM. Legislative framework for census, capture and transport of wild animals. General information on censuses. Census techniques most used in wildlife management in Europe. Age classes in wild animals and their field recognition. From the results of the census to the hypotheses on the structure of animal populations. General objectives and information on wildlife captures. Diseases related to capture. Containment and transport of captured animals.

Ecoparasitology and ecopatology concepts applied to free-ranging wildlife. Identification of the causal agent, epidemiology of the main diffusive diseases with spontaneous onset of wildlife. The health management of the fauna through interventions on the causal agent, manipulation of the host population, pharmacological treatments, modification of the environment. Emergencies and health management programs.

General concepts on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, side effects and association of the main drugs used for the capture and manipulation of wild animals.

RECOMMENDED TEXT AND BIBLIOGRAPHY. The main learning resources are notes, materials and recommended websites, which are made available by teachers on the course website.

PREPARATORY EXAMS: VET0204 Biology of vertebrates and ecology, VET0215 Elements of animal health, VET0210 Veterinary pathology, morphopathology and physiology.