HRNKOVÁ, J. – **GOLOVCHENKO, M. – MUSA, A. – NEEDHAM, T. – ITALIYA, J. – CEACERO HERRADOR, F. – KOTRBA, R. – **GRUBHOFFER, L. – **RUDENKO, N. – ČERNÝ, J. Borrelia spirochetes in European exotic farm animals. Frontiers in Veterinary Sciences, 2022, roč. 9, č. , s. 1-10. ISSN: 2297-1769.

MUSA, A. – NEEDHAM, T. – KOTRBA, R. – NERADILOVÁ, S. – **GANSWINDT, A. – CEACERO HERRADOR, F.Habituation of common eland (Taurotragus oryx) to intensive routine handling, and the effect of immunocastration thereon. 2021, This is a Poster presentation given at the 29th Animal Science Days conference, at the Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences Kaposvár Campus (MATE-KC), Gödöllő, Hungary from September 15 to 17, 2021. Abstract: Common eland (Taurotragus oryx) are considered as undomesticated, and maintain their natural prey instincts, making it necessary to habituate them to routine handling. Within this study, data was collected to determine the influence of routine handling and immunocastration on the temperament of common eland. Twenty-nine common eland were divided into two groups: sub-adults (n=15; ca. 2 years old) and juveniles, and were routinely handled every two weeks, over a four-month period. Within each age group, females, males, and immunocastrated males were present. Immunocastration treatment was administered during the second and fourth handling events (2mL Improvac®/ animal). During handling, animals were individually driven through the raceway and finally restrained in a squeeze chute, where routine biological samples and measurements were collected. Faecal androgen metabolite (fAM) concentrations were measured for each event, for males only. Each animal was focally sampled for specific behaviours during the handling. A temperament score was obtained by observing the general state of the animal from the point of entering the raceway, until its exit from the squeeze chute. Generalized linear mixed models tested the influence of immunocastration, week, group, fAM concentration, and body weight on the temperament score. Immunocastration did not affect the temperament score, the general state in the squeeze chute, the order of entering the handling system, and the chute exit. However, the temperament score and the state in the squeeze chute improved overtime (less nervous). Moreover, animals with low temperament scores (calm animals) entered the system earlier and exited the system calmly over the repeated handling period. The results show that routine handling through a raceway and squeeze chute system leads to habituation and improves the ease of handling in common eland. However, immunocastration did not affects the temperament of the male common eland during handling. Authors: Abubakar S. Musa1*, Tersia Needham1, Radim Kotrba1,2, Silvie Neradilova1, Andre Ganswindt3, Francisco Ceacero1 1 Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic 2 Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Přátelství 815, Prague 10- Uhříněves, 104 00, Czech Republic 3 Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.