The Use of Total Serum Proteins and Triglycerides for Monitoring Body Condition in the Iberian Wild Goat (Capra pyrenaica)

Body condition in wild ungulates is traditionally evaluated during the necropsy of animals on the basis of the weight of fat stored around or within the vital organs, the weight of the organs themselves, and their derived indices. However, sometimes it is important to evaluate the nutritional status of the animal by means of blood and serum analyses and the interpretation of specific parameters. Only in a very few studies is the nutritional status of the animal obtained by blood biochemistry and, when obtained, compared with the values for body condition obtained by anatomic dissection. In this study, the usefulness of two serum parameters, total serum proteins (TSP) and serum triglycerides (ST), was assessed in the monitoring of the body condition of Iberian wild goats (Capra pyrenaica). In addition, their relationship with the kidney fat index (KFI) and its components, kidney mass without fat (KM) and kidney fat (KF) is evaluated. A total of 25 wild goats from the Sierra Nevada National Park (southern Iberian Peninsula) that were shot by hunters were used in this study. The parameter TSP was found to be correlated with KM, and ST was correlated with both KM and KFI. Hence, both TSP and ST can be used for monitoring physical condition in wild and captive Iberian wild goats.