Katarzyna Tajchman

Proximate composition and physicochemical properties of European beaver (Castor fiber L.) meat.

The proximate composition of meat from young and mature European beaver and physicochemical properties during storage were investigated. The young beaver meat contains 20.52g of protein and 1.86g of fat in 100g, while mature animals 22.16g and 0.73g. Index of nutritional quality for protein ranged from 2.03 to 2.24. Storage had a greater impact on the physicochemical properties of beaver meat than animal age and muscle type. The meat of mature beavers was significantly (P<0.05) darker (L*=28.51) in comparison with young animals (L*=30.79) and contained significantly (P<0.01) more total pigments. However, the negative b* values (between -2.05 and -2.19) indicated a bluish tint on the surface of beaver meat. The significantly (P<0.05) lower drip loss and cooking loss showed semimembranosus (0.65% and 17.89%) compared to longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (0.84% and 19.58%). Significantly (P<0.01) lower values of TBARS, drip loss and cooking loss were determined in meat at 24h (0.15mgMDAkg-1, 0.59% and 15.99%) in comparison with stored for 7days (0.46mgMDAkg-1, 0.90% and 21.49%). Generally, storage for 7days improved meat water holding capacity and tenderness. W-B shear force and shear energy of beaver meat decreased from 51.4N and 0.21J at 24h to 33.2N and 0.11J at 7days.

Population Genetic Structure of Wild Boars in Poland

The analysis involved wild boars from the Lublin region, Warmia and Mazury, and Wielkopolska. The study material comprised muscle tissue samples collected from 100 wild boars. We analysed loci S0008, SW1129, SW986, SW1465, SW1492, SW1514, SW2532, SW461, SW841, SW2021, and SW2496 [1, 2]. The largest number of specific alleles, i.e. in six loci, was observed in wild boars from Warmia and Mazury; in turn, there were only two alleles in the group of wild boars from Lublin, and no alleles in individuals from Wielkopolska. The average value of the observed heterozygosity was Ho = 0.51, and the average value of expected heterozygosity was He = 0.63. PIC was another analysed indicator, with its lowest value determined for wild boars from the Wielkopolska region (0.53), and the highest value (0.62) was found for the animals from Warmia and Mazury. In the study population of wild boars, we also determined the FST index, which was 0.073, and Nm had a value greater than 3 (3.15); therefore, it can be concluded that the number of migrants per generation was 3. Both coefficients confirm the possibility of gene transfer and reproduction within and between the analysed populations of the wild boars. In our study, we observed a greater genetic distance between the wild boar populations from Wielkopolska and the Lublin and Warmia and Mazury regions in spite of the smaller geographical distance of these lands. This may be caused the less extensive network of ecological corridors as well as the occurrence of anthropogenic barriers e.g. large urban centres, an extensive network of roads, and the high volume of traffic in the direction of the capital.

Sustainable game management as one of the determinants of the welfare of hunting animals

There are groups of species among game animals demonstrating varied life strategies, demographic conditions and protective status. Therefore, a specific approach to managing the particular populations is needed. Game animals are more dependent on the natural environment because they are inseparable from it and any change in their natural habitat immediately affects the populations they create. The purpose of breeding wild animals in their natural habitat is primarily to preserve populations of different species in their natural biotopes, in the optimum biocenotic densities, species structure, as well as age and sex of the population. The work has attempted to point out elements in the hunting management that maintain welfare of the game animals. The described biochemical and physiological indicators of the organism, which reflect the internal equilibrium in an organism are influenced by various external environmental factors. In addition, attention was paid to other parameters describing the animal condition, e.g. energy reserves in the form of adipose tissue, antler weight, and population density and structure.