Applications of minimally invasive immune response and glucocorticoid biomarkers of physiological stress responses in rescued wild koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus)

Abstract

Australasian biodiversity is facing immense challenges with losses of prime habitats and food sources through increased anthropogenic factors such as climate change, bushfires, and habitat modification. Wildlife species are requiring greater conservation intervention supported through numerous wildlife rescue and rehabilitation programmes in this region. It is important to record the physiological stress responses of rescued wildlife and currently available conservation physiology tools can certainly aid the conservation management and rehabilitation of rescued wildlife. In this chapter, we showcase the applications of minimally invasive stress hormone and immune response (haematological blood cell profiling) biomarkers using case studies of rescued koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) to quantify their physiological stress responses to environmental trauma and disease conditions, and clinical intervention. Applications of these physiological biomarkers can advance our understanding of how wildlife respond towards and cope with environmental challenges and support conservation goals of rescue centres to strengthen wildlife rehabilitation and release back to the wild once the proximate stressors have been eliminated.