Wild-captive interactions and economics drive dynamics of Asian elephants in Laos.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Maurer G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5665948 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Wild-capture of numerous species is common for diverse purposes, including medical experiments, conservation, veterinary interventions and research, but little objective data exists on its consequences. We use exceptional demographic records on Asian elephants from timber camps in Myanmar to investigate the long-term consequences of wild-capture during 1951-2000 on their mortality (N = 5150). We show that captured elephants have increased mortality compared to captive-born elephants, regardless of their capture method. These detrimental effects of capture are similar for both sexes but differ substantially according to age. Elephants captured and tamed at older ages show a higher increase in mortality after capture than elephants captured and tamed young. Moreover, the increased mortality risk following capture and taming is still perceived several years after capture. Our results are timely given the continued capture of elephants and other wild animals to supplement captive populations despite the alarming declines of wild populations globally.
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Project description:Understanding factors preventing populations of endangered species from being self-sustaining is vital for successful conservation, but we often lack sufficient data to understand dynamics. The global Asian elephant population has halved since the 1950s, however >25% currently live in captivity and effective management is essential to maintain viable populations. Here, we study the largest semi-captive Asian elephant population, those of the Myanma timber industry (~20% global captive population), whose population growth is heavily limited by juvenile mortality. We assess factors associated with increased mortality of calves aged 4.0-5.5 years, the taming age in Myanmar, a process affecting ~15,000 captive elephants to varying degrees worldwide. Using longitudinal survival data of 1,947 taming-aged calves spanning 43 years, we showed that calf mortality risk increased by >50% at the taming age of four, a peak not seen in previous studies on wild African elephants. Calves tamed at younger ages experienced higher mortality risk, as did calves with less experienced mothers. Taming-age survival greatly improved after 2000, tripling since the 1970's. Management should focus on reducing risks faced by vulnerable individuals such as young and first-born calves to further improve survival. Changes associated with reduced mortality here are important targets for improving the sustainability of captive populations.
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Project description:Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) populations, both in the wild and in captivity, have been continually declining over the decades. The present study examined the physiological stress response of captive Asian elephants in relation to body condition score and different working conditions. A total of 870 dung samples of 37 captive elephants (24 males and 13 females) from four facilities were collected to examine fecal glucocorticoid metabolite concentrations (fGCM). The elephants in forest camps with exposure to natural habitats had a higher body condition score than those in more confined spaces. Wild born elephants and females (except in one case) had higher concentrations of fGCM than captive born elephants and males, respectively. Elephants engaged in the Dussehra festival had elevated fGCM concentrations than their counterparts at Mysore zoo. We recommend a few management practices for the long-term survival of rapidly declining captive elephant populations.
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Project description:Maintaining sustainable populations in captivity without supplementation through wild-capture is a major challenge in conservation that zoos and aquaria are working towards. However, the capture of wild animals continues for many purposes where conservation is not the primary focus. Wild-capture hinders long-term conservation goals by reducing remaining wild populations, but the direct and long-term indirect consequences of wild-capture for captive population viability are rarely addressed using longitudinal data. We explored the implications of changes in wild-capture on population dynamics in captivity over 54 years using a multi-generational studbook of working Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus) from Myanmar, the largest remaining captive elephant population. Here we show that population growth and birth rates declined between 1960 and 2014 with declines in wild-capture. Importantly, wild-caught females had reduced birth rates and a higher mortality risk. However, despite the disadvantages of wild-capture, the population may not be sustainable without it, with immediate declines owing to an unstable age-structure that may last for 50 years. Our results highlight the need to assess the long-term demographic consequences of wild-capture to ensure the sustainability of captive and wild populations as species are increasingly managed and conserved in altered or novel environments.
| S-EPMC6452069 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Detailed demographic data on wild Asian elephants have been difficult to collect due to habitat characteristics of much of the species' remaining range. Such data, however, are critical for understanding and modeling population processes in this endangered species. We present data from six years of an ongoing study of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka. This relatively undisturbed population numbering over one thousand elephants is individually monitored, providing cohort-based information on mortality and reproduction. Reproduction was seasonal, such that most births occurred during the long inter-monsoon dry season and peaked in May. During the study, the average age at first reproduction was 13.4 years and the 50(th) percentile inter-birth interval was approximately 6 years. Birth sex ratios did not deviate significantly from parity. Fecundity was relatively stable throughout the observed reproductive life of an individual (ages 11-60), averaging between 0.13-0.17 female offspring per individual per year. Mortalities and injuries based on carcasses and disappearances showed that males were significantly more likely than females to be killed or injured through anthropogenic activity. Overall, however, most observed injuries did not appear to be fatal. This population exhibits higher fecundity and density relative to published estimates on other Asian elephant populations, possibly enhanced by present range constriction. Understanding the factors responsible for these demographic dynamics can shed insight on the future needs of this elephant population, with probable parallels to other populations in similar settings.
| S-EPMC3869725 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Thirteen new lethal cases of acute hemorrhagic disease (HD) with typical histopathogical features were identified in young Asian elephants (Elephas maximus indicus) in India between 2013 and 2017. Eight occurred amongst free-ranging wild herds, with three more in camp-raised orphans and two in captive-born calves. All were confirmed to have high levels of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus type 1A (EEHV1A) DNA detected within gross pathological lesions from necropsy tissue by multi-locus PCR DNA sequencing. The strains involved were all significantly different from one another and from nine previously described cases from Southern India (which included one example of EEHV1B). Overall, eight selected dispersed PCR loci totaling up to 6.1-kb in size were analyzed for most of the 22 cases, with extensive subtype clustering data being obtained at four hypervariable gene loci. In addition to the previously identified U48(gH-TK) and U51(vGPCR1) gene loci, these included two newly identified E5(vGPCR5) and E54(vOX2-1) loci mapping far outside of the classic EEHV1A versus EEHV1B subtype chimeric domains and towards the novel end segments of the genome that had not been evaluated previously. The high levels of genetic divergence and mosaic scrambling observed between adjacent loci match closely to the overall range of divergence found within 45 analyzed North American and European cases, but include some common relatively unique polymorphic features and preferred subtypes that appear to distinguish most but not all Indian strains from both those in Thailand and those outside range countries. Furthermore, more than half of the Indian cases studied here involved calves living within wild herds, whereas nearly all other cases identified in Asia so far represent rescued camp orphans or captive-born calves.
| S-EPMC6105008 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Data on personality for long-lived, highly social wild mammals with high cognitive abilities are rare. We investigated the personality structure of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) by using a large sample of semi-captive timber elephants in Myanmar. Data were collected during 2014-2017 using questionnaires, for which elephant riders (mahouts) rated 28 behavioural adjectives of elephants. Repeated questionnaires were obtained for each elephant from several raters whenever possible, resulting in 690 ratings of 150 female and 107 male elephants. We started by performing a confirmatory factor analysis to compare the fit of our data to a previously published captive elephant personality structure. Owing to a poor fit of this model to our data, we proceeded by performing explanatory factor analysis to determine the personality structure in our study population. This model suggested that personality in these elephants was manifested as three factors that we labelled as Attentiveness, Sociability and Aggressiveness. This structure did not differ between the sexes. These results provide the basis for future research on the link between personality and reproductive success in this endangered species and more generally, help to resolve the selective pressures on personalities in long-lived, highly social species.
| S-EPMC5830789 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Gut microbiota play an important role in the health and disease of Asian elephants, however, its characteristics at each stage of life have not been thoroughly investigated in maintaining and regulating health of elephants. This study, therefore, aimed to characterize the profiles of the gut microbiota of captive Asian elephants from infants to the elderly. Gut microbiota were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing from the feces of captive Asian elephants with varying age groups, including infant calves, suckling calves, weaned calves, subadult and adult elephants, and geriatric elephants. The diversity of the gut microbiota was lowest in infants, stable during adulthood, and slightly decreased in the geriatric period. The gut microbiota of the infant elephants was dominated by milk-fermenting taxa including genus Bifidobacterium of family Bifidobacteriaceae together with genus Akkermansia. The fiber-fermenting taxa such as Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group were found to be increased in suckling elephants in differential abundance analysis by Analysis of Compositions of Microbiomes with Bias Correction (ANCOM-BC). The gut microbiota profiles after weaning until the adult period has been uniform as indicated by no significant differences in beta diversity between groups. However, the composition of the gut microbiota was found to change again in geriatric elephants. Understanding of the composition of the gut microbiota of captive Asian elephants at various life stages could be beneficial for promoting good health throughout their lifespan, as well as ensuring the welfare of captive elephants.
| S-EPMC10754835 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and aimElephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) is a serious disease, threatening the life of young elephants. Many elephants have been infected with no clinical signs and may serve as carriers spreading this disease. It is important to monitor the disease through clinical signs and molecular diagnosis. In this study we investigated the occurrence of EEHV and the efficiency of different techniques used to monitor EEHV infection in various samples and populations of Asian elephants.Materials and methodsBlood and trunk swabs were collected from live elephants, while visceral organs (lung, digestive tract, spleen, lymph nodes, and kidney) were collected from dead elephants. EEHV was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in whole blood, trunk swabs, and visceral organs as samples, while elephant anti-EEHV immunoglobulin G (IgG) in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A total of 162 samples were analyzed in this study: 129 from healthy, 26 from dead, and 7 from sick elephants.ResultsThe present study showed that the overall incidence of EEHV was 40.1% (n=65/162). Approximately 46.2% (n=12/26) and 85.7% (n=6/7) of dead and sick elephants were positive for EEHV by PCR, respectively. All sick elephants that were young and affected by EEHV clinical disease tested negative for the IgG antibody ELISA, suggesting primary EEHV infection in this group. In addition, 2.3% (n=3/129) of subclinical infections were detected using PCR, and trunk swab samples showed slightly higher sensitivity (5.3%, n=2/38) to detect EEHV than whole blood (1.2%, n=1/84). As many as, 48.4% (n=44/91) of healthy elephants were EEHV seropositive (ELISA-positive), suggesting that many elephants in Thailand had previously been infected. Overall, 30% of dead wild elephants had been infected with EEHV (n=3/10). Moreover, statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in the EEHV detection rate between different age groups or sexes (p>0.05).ConclusionPCR is better than ELISA to detect EEHV active infection in dead/sick elephants and to monitor EEHV in young elephants. ELISA is suitable for detecting previous EEHV infection and carriers, particularly adults. Theoretically, we could use both PCR and ELISA to increase the sensitivity of testing, along with observing abnormal behavior to efficiently monitor this disease. Identification of EEHV carriers within elephant populations is important to prevent transmission to healthy individuals, especially young elephants with high mortality from EEHV. This is the first report from Thailand regarding EEHV infection in wild elephants, showing the importance of preventing disease transmission between captive and wild elephants.
| S-EPMC7994120 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPatterns in the association of individuals can shed light on the underlying conditions and processes that shape societies. Here we characterize patterns of association in a population of wild Asian Elephants at Uda Walawe National Park in Sri Lanka. We observed 286 individually-identified adult female elephants over 20 months and examined their social dynamics at three levels of organization: pairs of individuals (dyads), small sets of direct companions (ego-networks), and the population level (complete networks).ResultsCorroborating previous studies of this and other Asian elephant populations, we find that the sizes of elephant groups observed in the field on any particular day are typically small and that rates of association are low. In contrast to earlier studies, our longitudinal observations reveal that individuals form larger social units that can be remarkably stable across years while associations among such units change across seasons. Association rates tend to peak in dry seasons as opposed to wet seasons, with some cyclicity at the level of dyads. In addition, we find that individuals vary substantially in their fidelity to companions. At the ego-network level, we find that despite these fluctuations, individuals associate with a pool of long-term companions. At the population level, social networks do not exhibit any clear seasonal structure or hierarchical stratification.ConclusionsThis detailed longitudinal study reveals different social dynamics at different levels of organization. Taken together, these results demonstrate that low association rates, seemingly small group sizes, and fission-fusion grouping behavior mask hidden stability in the extensive and fluid social affiliations in this population of Asian elephants.
| S-EPMC3199741 | biostudies-literature