Projects

Reindeer personality and relationship with humans

With this project, started in 2021, in collaboration with Dr Martin Seltmann, we propose an integrative study that aims to investigate how the human-animal relationship and animal personality traits may influence cooperation between humans and animals in a working context. Specifically, we focus on working reindeer used for tourism in Finnish Lapland. By employing a combination of questionnaires and behavioral experiments, we are assessing various potential personality traits in the reindeer which may directly impact their relationship and interactions with humans.

Additionally, we are examining how contact with strangers, as opposed to contact with a familiar handler, may influence the stress levels of the reindeer and their ability to comprehend human cues. Through this study, we aim to bridge the knowledge gap regarding reindeer behaviour and cognition, as well as address the need for a better understanding of human-animal relationships, which have often been overlooked in working animals. It is worth noting that reindeer are the only species of cervidae used as working animals, making them a unique and innovative opportunity to experimentally explore the cognitive abilities and personality traits within the cervidae species.

Emotions and Infrared Thermal Imaging

          Measuring immediate emotional state in animals can be a challenging task. Behavioral observations may lack precision, while hormonal sampling through saliva and blood are invasive methods. Additionally, equipping animals with heart rate sensors is not always feasible. However, with the emergence of new technologies, infrared thermal measurement of body parts has shown promise as an efficient tool for assessing immediate responses to stimuli.

          The advantages of using an infrared thermal camera are its portability, wireless functionality, and noninvasive nature, as it does not require direct contact with the animals. Previous studies conducted on humans and other primates have demonstrated that emotional stimuli lead to a drop in nose temperature. This measurement could be used as an indicator of arousal in animals. However, in many mammals, the nasal area is covered with fur, making it impossible to assess its temperature using infrared thermal imaging. As an alternative, the temperature of the medial canthus, the hairless area in the eye corner, can be measured.

        Although there have been limited studies on measuring medial canthus temperature in ungulates, some of the existing research primarily focuses on temperature changes before and after a stressor, rather than during the event itself. Consequently, these studies fail to provide a comprehensive representation of temperature variations during stimulating events. I aim to investigate the variation in ungulates' medial canthus temperature throughout the entire duration of events with both negative and positive valence and throughout different  intensity of arousal. The objective is to understand how eye temperature varies according to different situations and the intensity of the animals' responses. I will also explore potential correlations between eye temperature, heart rate, behavioral responses and facial expressions of the animals. This project aim to provide a validation of the eye temperature measurement methodology, which is currently lacking in the core literature. Moreover, it aims to promote the use of infrared thermal measurement as an accessible and noninvasive tool for assessing emotional changes in ungulates and collecting welfare-related data. The use of thermal imaging has real interesting potential applications to assess the welfare of farm animals. 

 

I am currently looking for funding and potential collaborators/host lab to continue my investigations. 

Human-Horse Personalities and horse living environment 

          In the wild, horses live in intricate social groups and spend a significant portion of their time foraging. To meet their dietary requirements, free-ranging feral horses typically travel distances averaging from 9 to 16 km per day and cover areas up to 40 km2 during a single summer. On the other hand, captive domestic horses do not enjoy the same freedom of movement or the same choices in forming social groups as their feral counterparts. There are various methods of housing horses, including enclosures of different sizes with varying numbers of conspecifics, as well as individual stalls or paddocks. The housing system significantly influences their time-activity budget, including factors such as sleeping, feeding, and exercise. In larger pastures, horses tend to be more active compared to those in small paddocks. Horses with access to pastures and conspecifics demonstrate better learning performance and display less aggressive behavior toward humans than horses kept in individual stables.

               This project aims to utilize online surveys to explore how the living environment of horses reflects on their behavior towards their owners. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate how the personality of horse owners influences their attachment to their horses and, the living environment they provide for their equine companions.