Nocturnal behavior in a group of unchained female African elephants

Publication Type:
 Journal Article
Year of Publication:
 1999
Authors:
 R. C. Brockett, T. S. Stoinski, J. Black, T. Markowitz, T. L. Maple
Publication/Journal:
 Zoo Biology
Publisher:
 Inc., John Wiley & Sons
Keywords:
 , ,
ISBN:
 1098-2361
Abstract:

Abstract 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2361(1999)18:2<101::AID-ZOO2>3.3.CO;2-W The chaining of elephants at night is a common management strategy in zoos, yet the costs and benefits of such a strategy are relatively unknown. A study of three unchained female African elephants was undertaken to document their nocturnal behavior. The subjects were observed between the hours of 1800 and 0800 for 10 weeks in the summer of 1992 (total of 172 hr) and 14 weeks in the summer of 1994 (total of 153 hr). Scan data were collected every 5 min to gather information on activity budgets, social proximity, and space utilization. All-occurrence data were collected on social and non-social behaviors. In each year of the study, the subjects spent equivalent amounts of time eating, lying, standing, and walking. Additionally, subjects spent half of their time within one body length of another animal and utilized all three available enclosures. Social and non-social behaviors were frequent, and these data plus the activity profiles reveal the animals generally were most active between the hours of 1800 and 2400 and 0600 and 0700. The findings suggest that the use of no restraints is currently an effective strategy for this elephant group. The high activity levels observed during many of the early evening hours suggest that zoos could permit increased activity and social interactions by extending the hours when the elephants are unchained. Zoo Biol 18:101–109, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Links:

Back to Resources