African elephant reintegration from captivity to wild living: quantifying the detailed behavioural changes

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.69649/pachyderm.v65i.1291

Abstract

There is increasing evidence of compromised welfare for captive African savannah elephants managed in confined spaces. With the trend for zoos and captive facilities to close due to public pressure, reflecting ethical concerns,  and thier limited capacity to manage 'difficult'  behaviours, elephants will continue to require rehabilitation into free-ranging areas or living in the wild. During reintegration from captivity into a free-roaming system, conservation management methods need to be carefully considered to ensure the individual’s welfare. Elephants,  have a sophisticated social life and exhibit complex body language employing a multitude of behavioural signals and gestures to demonstrate thier needs and feelings. These detailed signals could be valuable when assessing the welfare status of elephants as any large deviation in behaviour could indicate changes in elephant wellbeing. In this study,  a group of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) were monitored as they transitioned from captivity to a free-roaming system. To track the impact of reintegration on elephant welfare, we recorded  frequencies of behaviours categorized as Ambivalent, Assessing, Frustrated, and Social, and ofspecific  behaviours within each category, across four phases of reintegration into the wild (Stables, Boma, Release and Free). Significant differences in rates between reintegration phases were observed for several categories of behaviour and specific behaviours. Decreased  frequencies of Frustrated behaviours and an increase in social behaviours when the elephants were Free were potentially indicative of improved welfare in wild settings. We conclude that monitoring of  behaviours is important when assessing elephant welfare, and to establish the success of reintegration operations.

Author Biographies

Tamara Eggeling, Elephant Reintegration Trust

  1. Tamara Eggeling is a researcher working in the conservation and behavioural ecology field, with a particular focus on African elephants. She worked in the Greater Kruger area, first as a conservation officer in Sabi Sands Game Reserve and then as an Elephant Researcher and Mortality officer with Elephants Alive in the Associated Private Nature Reserves. She is currently conducting marine mammal research on Marion Island. Tamara studies at the University of Pretoria where she obtained a BSc in Zoology in 2013, an Honours (2914), and an MSc in Wildlife Management (2016). Tamara’s research interests lie in elephant management, welfare improvement, and reintegration into the wild from captivity. She is a trustee of the Elephant Reintegration Trust and a member of the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group and the Southern Africa Management Association.

Victoria L Boult, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading

  1. Dr Victoria L Boult is a NERC Knowledge Exchange Fellow in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading, UK. She obtained a BSc in Zoology from the University of Southampton in 2014, an MSc in Wildlife Management and Conservation from the University of Reading in 2015, and her PhD in Ecological Modelling in 2019, also from the University of Reading. Victoria is an interdisciplinary scientist with an interest in the influence of weather and climate on animal behaviour and ecology, particularly in the African context. She is a member of the British Ecological Society and the Ecological Forecasting Initiative, and an Associate Editor at Meteorological Applications and Climate Resilience and Sustainability.  

Brett MItchell, Elephant Reintegration Trust

Brett Mitchell is the Chairman of the Elephant Reintegration Trust, the main objective is the reintegration of captive elephants back into a wild system. Coupled with crucial research on the reintegration and welfare of elephants both wild and captive. He has worked with both captive and wild elephants for over 25yrs, developing a successful model for reintegrating captive elephants back into the wild.

Family tree of study animals on SPGR, showing the date of birth (DOB) and the sex of the elephants.

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Published

2024-11-25

How to Cite

Eggeling, T., Roos, T., Boult, V. L., Mitchell, B., & Steyn, T. (2024). African elephant reintegration from captivity to wild living: quantifying the detailed behavioural changes. Pachyderm, 65, 70–83. https://doi.org/10.69649/pachyderm.v65i.1291

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Section

Research