HOW CAN THE 3Rs PRINCIPLES BE APPLIED IN WILDLIFE RESEARCH?
In 2021, a study1 was published reporting the results of a survey among 107 ecologists working with wildlife. The survey revealed that 61% of the respondents did not know the 3Rs principles of animal use. It is therefore essential to raise awareness of the 3Rs across all life sciences.
There is a significant difference between research on laboratory animals and on wildlife in that the former are used as models for humans, for example, in testing toxicity or effectiveness of new drugs. In contrast, wildlife research focuses on the animal itself, in order to understand its biology, behaviour, and health. Moreover, wildlife encompasses a very broad range of species with different ecological and physiological traits, which makes generalizations of guidelines challenging. Nevertheless, the 3Rs principles can still be applied to wildlife research in several ways.
Replacement
Replacement may not be always possible, especially when animals are the subjects of the study. However, there are alternative approaches that can be employed. For example, individual identification can be achieved through natural marking methods, such as camera traps, or through non-invasive sampling techniques. These methods allow researchers to gather valuable data without the need to physically touch the animals. Additionally, the use of museum samples can serve as a form of replacement, providing historical data for certain studies. Furthermore, it is worth considering whether the research hypothesis can be addressed through systematic reviews or meta-analyses, which can help synthesize existing data and avoid the need for new animal studies.
Reduction
Reduction can be achieved, for example, by implementing efficient experimental design and planning, calculating the minimum sample size required, avoiding unnecessary research repetition through meta-analyses of previously published studies, and promoting data and resource sharing. Individual animals can also be utilized for multiple purposes, such as combining capture-mark-recapture and genotyping studies. Additionally, the implementation of in silico methods provides another strategy for reduction, and even replacement, by enabling species distribution modeling, population modeling in response to climate change, and disease spread predictions.
Refinement
Non-invasive methods can be considered as replacement, but also a part of reduction and refinement strategies, depending on how the methods are implemented. Refinement includes, for example, the use anesthesia, tranquilization, and light-weight radiotransmitters. For minimum injuries and capture of non-target species, it has been recommended to use call playback and taxidermy decoys, and to use traps that have been shown to cause no or minimal injuries, for instance, replacing foothold traps with box traps.
