Thermal Imaging to Assess the Health Status in Wildlife Animals under Human Care: Limitations and Perspectives

Abstract

Ensuring the welfare of wildlife under human care requires tools to monitor their health and well-being. Infrared thermography is a non-invasive technique for assessing thermal states that measure the radiation emitted from the skin in distinct anatomical areas, known as thermal windows—anatomical regions with abundant capillaries and arteriovenous anastomosis that facilitate heat exchange with the environment. However, thermal windows for wildlife species have not yet been established due to the different characteristics of their skin, coats, fur, or coloring. This review discusses published information on the usefulness of the ocular, nasal, thoracic, abdominal, and podal anatomical regions as thermal windows for evaluating these animals’ thermal responses and health status and monitoring habitat design. Another aspect that must be considered for wildlife under human care is the limitations of distinct species due to differences between animals and critical factors. Future studies should focus on establishing a precise application for each thermal window according to the specific characteristics of distinct animal species.