Transmission of experience about prey and habitat supports the survival of next generation of wolves. Thus, the parent pack (PP) can affect whether young migrating wolves (loners) kill farm animals or choose to be in human environments, which generates human–wolf conflicts. Therefore, we researched whether the behavior of loners resembles PP behavior. After being extinct, 22 loners had entered the Netherlands between 2015 and 2019. Among them, 14 could be DNA-identified and linked with their PPs in Germany. Some loners were siblings. We assessed the behavior of each individual and PP through a structured Google search. PP behavior was determined for the loner’s rearing period. Similarity between loner and PP behavior was significant (p = 0.022) and applied to 10 of 14 cases: like their PPs, three loners killed sheep and were near humans, five killed sheep and did not approach humans, while two loners were unproblematic, they did not kill sheep, nor were they near humans. Siblings behaved similarly. Thus, sheep killing and proximity to humans may develop during early-life experiences in the PP. However, by negative reinforcement that can be prevented. New methods are suggested to achieve that. As a result, new generations may not be problematic when leaving PPs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of small amount of straw or hay (100 g/animal/day) and gender on pork characteristics, measured on slaughter line in longissimus dorsi et lumborum (LD) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles. We performed two replicates, each including 96 fattening pigs (half gilts and half barrows) reared under commercial conditions. Treatment had no effect on carcass characteristics and pH₄₅ in both muscles. The straw and hay treatments lowered pH₂₄ in LD muscle (straw: 5.71, hay: 5.74, control: 5.85), while hay treatment increased Fibre Optic Probe value (FOP₂₄) in SM muscle compared to straw treatment (hay: 33.15, straw: 29.26). Gender had no effect on meat characteristics, but the interaction between treatment and gender revealed differences in FOP₂₄ in SM muscle in gilts but not in barrows. Based on pH₂₄ in LD muscle, straw treatment lowered percentage of pigs with DFD meat (straw: 6.2%, control: 28.6%), whereas based on FOP₂₄ in SM muscle, hay treatment lowered percentage of pigs with DFD meat (hay: 9.4%, straw: 32.8%; control: 27.0%). We conclude that a small amount of straw or hay has a beneficial effect on meat quality as it lowered the incidence of DFD meat.

Wild boar are present almost throughout Slovenia, causing similar problems as in many other countries, mainly damage to agriculture. Dealing with these problems also involves children. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of age, gender, and farm residence on knowledge, attitudes, and opinions about wild boar management in 11- and 15-year-olds (n = 478) attending schools in/near areas of high wild boar densities, via an anonymous closed-ended questionnaire. Only 52.4% of the questions on factual knowledge were answered correctly, although a relatively high proportion of students (38.3%) reported having seen wild boar in their natural environment. The majority of students (81.4%) expressed affection toward animals in general, while only 11.3% stated that they liked wild boar. The main source of information about these animals was home (40.0%), followed by school (26.1%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that students’ age and gender usually predicted their response (p < 0.05), while living on a farm influenced only the source of information and one attitude question: farm residents were more likely to express affection toward wild boar. The older students were more likely to know more about wild boar, but they also were more likely to be indifferent toward the species. Boys and girls did not differ in their knowledge, but girls were more likely to express fear/dislike of wild boar. In general, older students and girls were more likely to be undecided in their responses. Since we found almost no effect of farm residence on students’ knowledge and opinions, it can be concluded that wild boar problems are recognized generally, not only in agriculture. Because information from home can be biased, we propose that teachers be encouraged to include wild boar topics in their teaching, educating young people properly about wild boar problems and consequently influencing their adult behavior concerning management issues.

The aim of our study was to examine average duration and frequency of behaviour of growing rabbits and possible influence of gnawing sticks as environmental enrichment on their daily rhythm of behavioural patterns duration. For this purpose 16 males of Slovenian sire line SIKA for meat production were recorded 24 hours per day, between 45 and 48, 58 and 61, 72 and 75, and 86 and 89 days age of rabbits. Animals were housed individually in wire-mesh cages equipped with a feeder and a nipple drinker. Half of the cages were enriched with wooden sticks of Norway spruce (Picea abies). Animals had free access to the feed and water; the daily duration of lighting was 12 hours. Rabbits spent a major proportion of time resting (59.03%). They were lying most of the time in abdominal (38.84%) and abdominal – lateral position (18.05%). The most common active behavioural patterns were body care (sum of grooming and scratching; 20.16%), feeding (10.25%) and sniffing (4.60%). Rabbits changed their behaviour on average 53.55-times, from three to 197-times per hour. The difference in daily rhythm of individual behavioural pattern duration between rabbits in enriched and control cages was mostly expressed around the time lights were turned on or off. Proučevali smo povprečno trajanje in pogostost posameznih oblik obnašanja pri pitovnih kuncih ter možen vpliv obogatitve okolja z letvijo za glodanje na njihov dnevni ritem trajanja posameznih oblik obnašanja. V ta namen smo po 24 ur snemali 16 samcev slovenske mesne linije SIKA (očetovska linija) med 45. in 48., 58. in 61., 72. in 75. ter 86. in 89. dnem starosti. Kunci so bili uhlevljeni individualno v žičnih kletkah, opremljenih s krmilnikom na zalogo in kapljičnim napajalnikom. V polovico kletk smo kot obogatitev okolja namestili letev iz smrekovega lesa (Picea abies). Živali so imele krmo in vodo na razpolago po volji, trajanje osvetlitve je bilo 12 ur. Kunci so največ časa namenili mirovanju (59,03 %). Najdlje so ležali v trebušni (38,84 %) in trebušno-stranski legi (18,05 %). Od aktivnih oblik obnašanja so bile najbolj zastopane nega telesa (20,16 %), zauživanje krme (10,25 %) ter ovohavanje (4,60 %). Kunci so na uro obnašanje spremenili od tri do 197-krat, v povprečju pa 53,55-krat. Razlika v dnevnem ritmu trajanja posameznih oblik obnašanja med kunci z letvijo in brez nje se je običajno pokazala v urah pred nastopom svetlega oziroma temnega dela dneva in po njem.