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Elephant Management in North American Zoos: Environmental Enrichment, Feeding, Exercise, and Training
Brian J Greco1,2, Cheryl L Meehan2, Lance J Miller3
1Department of Animal Science and Center for Animal Welfare, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.
Plos One
|July 15, 2016
Summary
Zoo elephant management practices vary significantly between Asian and African elephants, with Asian elephants receiving more direct staff interaction. These findings highlight management differences crucial for understanding elephant welfare.
Area of Science:
- Zoological management
- Animal welfare science
- Conservation biology
Background:
- Zoo-based management of African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants encompasses feeding, exercise, training, and enrichment.
- Current management practices lack standardization, leading to variations in application across institutions and individual animals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize and analyze elephant management practices in North American zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
- To identify potential differences in management attributable to elephant sex and species.
Main Methods:
- Survey data collected from 67 zoos, detailing management of 224 elephants and training of 227 elephants.
- Development of 26 variables to describe management practices, including time managed, feeding schedules, and training techniques.
- Analysis of descriptive statistics and diversity indices to evaluate enrichment, feeding, and exercise programs.
Main Results:
- Asian elephants received more managed time (56.9%) compared to African elephants (48.6%).
- Managed time increased with age (20.2% per year).
- Training methods leaned towards rewarding stimuli (median of 7 on a 1-9 scale).
Conclusions:
- Significant variation exists in elephant management practices within North American zoos.
- Management differences, particularly regarding time spent with staff and training methods, may influence elephant welfare.
- The developed variables provide a foundation for future elephant welfare research.
