RapportFondation 2025 V02 EN light - Flipbook - Page 60
Supporting SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
2024 REPORT
BELGIUM
Breaths that say a lot:
A STUDY ON MARINE MAMMAL RESPIRATION
AMOUNT COMMITTED TO DATE: WE CONTRIBUTE
THROUGH TIME-INVESTMENT OF OUR TEAMS.
2024
In 2024, Pairi Daiza contributed to an international scientific
study coordinated by Global Diving Research. The aim was to
find out how respiratory rate (the number of breaths per minute)
varies in mammals according to their weight and way of life:
terrestrial, aquatic or semi-aquatic.
To do this, our keepers measured the resting respiratory rate
of two iconic species, walruses and Steller sea lions, early in
the morning and after overnight fasting.
The results confirmed that aquatic and semi-aquatic mammals
breathe less frequently than terrestrial species of equivalent
weight. More importantly, they show that the relationship
between respiration and body weight is less pronounced in
these aquatic species.
The study offers valuable data for monitoring respiratory health,
adapting veterinary treatments and guiding conservation efforts.
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