Identifying potential measures of stress and disturbance during a captive to wild African elephant reintegration
There is increasing evidence of compromised welfare for elephants managed in captivity. Should such facilities eventually close, more elephants will need to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into the wild. The goal of such reintegration would be to restore any physical or psychological aspects of the elephant that may have been compromised in captivity, followed by […]
Assessment of faecal cortisol in captive elephants of Tamil Nadu state: An indicator of stress
A study was undertaken to assess the faecal cortisol levels in captive elephants of Tamil Nadu state. Fresh dung samples from 25 temple elephants, 7 elephants in mudumalai camp and 18 elephants in Anamalai camp were collected in 80% methanol added air tight containers. The overtaxing extraction method was used for extraction of glucocorticoids from […]
From left to right all through the night: Characteristics of lying rest in zoo elephants
Despite increased research during the past years, many characteristics of resting behavior in elephants are still unknown. For example, there is only limited data suggesting elephants express longer lying bouts and increased total nightly lying durations on soft substrates as compared to hard surfaces. Additionally, it has not been investigated how frequently elephants change body […]
Public feeding interactions as enrichment for three zoo-housed elephants
The past few decades have seen increased interest in studies examining the welfare of elephants and animal–visitor interactions. One understudied area for both pursuits is the impact of public feeding interactions. Our study examined the effects of public feedings on the general activity of three zoo-housed elephants. Prior to public feedings, we developed and assessed […]
Personality and behavioral changes in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) following the death of herd members
Elephants are highly social beings with complex individual personalities. We know that elephants have a general interest in death, investigating carcasses, not just limited to kin; however, research does not explore in depth whether individuals change their behavior or personality following traumatic events, such as the death of a conspecific. Within a captive herd of […]
Multiple assessments of personality and problem-solving performance in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana)
Animal personality has been shown to predict many behavioral responses across taxa, but the relationship between personality and performance on cognitive tasks remains unclear. To address this gap, we investigated whether personality predicted problem-solving performance and learning in captive Asian and African savanna elephants. We leveraged 3 novel problem-solving tasks to assess success rate, latency […]
Public Feeding Interactions as Enrichment for Three Zoo-Housed Elephants
The past two decades have seen increased interest in studies examining the welfare of elephants and animal–visitor interactions. One understudied area for both pursuits is the impact of public feeding interactions. Our study examined the effects of public feedings on the general activity of three zoo-housed elephants. Prior to public feedings, we developed and assessed […]
Effects of physiological changes and social life events on adrenal glucocorticoid activity in female zoo-housed Asian elephants (Elephas maximus)
Ensuring good health and welfare is an increasingly important consideration for conservation of endangered species and includes breeding of individuals managed under human care. Understanding how factors in the captive environment affect individual animal wellbeing can be aided by long-term monitoring of biological functioning. This study involved longitudinal assessments (4 to 28 years) of reproductive […]
Survey of Geriatric Elephant Medical Care, Nutrition, Husbandry, and Welfare
Improvements in husbandry, veterinary care, and nutrition have led to increased longevity of animals in human care, including elephants. The goal of this study was to collect and synthesize information pertaining to geriatric elephant medicine, management, husbandry, and nutrition. An electronic survey was created and distributed to American Association of Zoo Veterinarians members through an […]
Standards for elephant management and care
The following standards apply to the husbandry and management of both African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants in AZA accredited institutions, AZA related facilities, and non-member participants in the AZA Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP). The intelligence, strength, and social needs of these magnificent animals can pose many challenges for captive managers. Institutions […]