Using Thermography to Evaluate Impacts of Limb Inflammation on Locomotion in Captive Giraffes

Presenter: Mariana Hernandez

Co-Presenter(s):
Katelin Fox, Victoria Brunal, Erika Defer, and Derek Girman

Presenter Status: Undergraduate student

Academic Year: 22-23

Semester: Spring

Faculty Mentor: Dereck Girman

Department: Biology

Funding Source/Sponsor: Koret Scholars Program

President's Strategic Plan Goal: Sustainability and Environmental Inquiry

Abstract:
We evaluated the use of non-invasive thermographic images to detect inflammation in giraffes and determine if giraffes showing inflammation also show differences in locomotion. To detect inflammation, we used a FLIR thermal imaging camera which allowed us to detect heat patterns in the limbs and feet of the giraffes. We compared thermographs to measurements of stride length collected from giraffes walking through crushed walnut. In addition, we used an ethogram to collect observations of spatial use over twenty-minute intervals.