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1. Human-caused harassment and mortality (e.g. hunting) affects many
aspects of wildlife population dynamics and social structure. Little is
known, however, about the social and physiological effects of hunting,
which might provide valuable insights into the mechanisms by which
wildlife respond to human-caused mortality. To investigate physiological
consequences of hunting, we measured stress and reproductive hormones in
hair, which reflect endocrine activity during hair growth. Applying this
novel approach, we compared steroid hormone levels in hair of wolves
(Canis lupus) living in Canada's tundra–taiga (n = 103) that
experience heavy rates of hunting with those in the northern boreal forest
(n = 45) where hunting pressure is substantially lower. The hair samples
revealed that progesterone was higher in tundra–taiga wolves, possibly
reflecting increased reproductive effort and social disruption in response
to human-related mortality. Tundra–taiga wolves also had higher
testosterone and cortisol levels, which may reflect social instability. To
control for habitat differences, we also measured cortisol in an out-group
of boreal forest wolves (n = 30) that were killed as part of a control
programme. Cortisol was higher in the boreal out-group than in our study
population from the northern boreal forest. Overall, our findings support
the social and physiological consequences of human-caused mortality.
Long-term implications of altered physiological responses should be
considered in management and conservations strategies.
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