Catching Alpine ibex and using invasive sampling methods cause a great deal of stress to both individual animals and the entire group. Non-invasive sampling methods contribute to reducing stress in animals because they do not require capture or handling (needle puncture), which in turn reduces the risk of injury to both the animals and the staff responsible for catching them. This study included two non-invasive blood sampling methods (i.e., sampling using bloodsucking bugs and medicinal leeches) and analyses of faeces, urine, hair, and saliva. Cortisol concentrations were compared along with haematological and biochemical parameters. The comparative results of samples collected through venipuncture and the two non-invasive methods showed that blood collection with leeches was more useful. The highest average cortisol concentration was measured in blood, followed by hair and faeces (in which glucocorticoid metabolites were measured), and the lowest average value was found in saliva. Urine and tear sampling is a complex procedure and hence less suitable for determining cortisol. The concentration of cortisol in tears came closest to the average value found in saliva. The cortisol concentration in urine reached even higher values than in the blood serum/plasma. In blood samples collected through venipuncture, a statistically significant difference in cortisol concentration was established between ibex younger than 11 months and those older than 10 years. A significant difference between the same age groups was also established in the concentration of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites. In saliva, a statistically significant difference in cortisol concentration was found between males and females. In hair, a statistically significant difference in cortisol concentration was found between samples collected in summer and those taken in autumn. The second part of the study focused on establishing the correlation between cortisol levels and infestation with internal parasites. Strongylida, Eimeria, and, in one case, Capillaria were confirmed by laboratory analyses of faecal samples. After successful deworming, no statistically significant differences in cortisol concentration were found before and 3 weeks after treatment.
The third part of the study investigated the correlation between cortisol and sex hormones. Testosterone was detected in faeces, hair, and serum. Estradiol was only found in faeces.
No statistically significant correlations were established between cortisol levels and sex hormones. The haematological and biochemical analyses of the blood, hair, faecal, urine, tear, and saliva samples collected from Alpine ibex can serve as a reliable tool for faster and more accurate diagnosis of pathological conditions and stress exposure in this species.
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