Browsing by Author "Draper, Dianne L"

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    If you give an elephant a forest: the behavioural ecology of rewilded Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in northern Thailand
    (2022-03-29) Greer, Chelsea E.; Alexander, Shelley M; Baker, Liv; Draper, Dianne L; Johnson, Steig E
    Thailand has under 8,000 elephants (Elephas maximus), with more living in captivity to profit tourism than are free-living in natural habitat. Given the entangled lives of humans and elephants in Thailand today, the captive Asian elephant population presents an important conservation opportunity. More recently, experts have advocated for focused efforts on rewilding elephants who have enduring relationships with humans, providing captive animals the opportunity to regain meaningful, autonomous lives. This model of repopulation is underway in regions of Thailand, but more information is required to better understand the rehabilitative and ecological needs of elephants transitioning from captive to free-living settings. Using the approach of bridging animal conservation and welfare, I collected behavioural data to determine and assess the activity budgets and foraging behaviour of a rewilded family living in northern Thailand. Continuous focal sampling of individual behaviour was collected daily in 30–50-minute sessions. Behaviour categories included, for example foraging, comfort, play, affiliative, exploration, movement, and rest. Rewilded elephants were observed to spend over 60% of their time in foraging-related activities. Differences among individuals were also observed (i.e., time proportion spent alert, foraging, playing, interacting with others). Spatial association varied between elephant dyads and many of the observed behaviours were expressed at a higher time proportion when in proximity to other elephant(s). All elephants expressed foraging complexity (i.e., exploring, interacting with others, maintaining comfort adjacent to collecting, selecting and manipulating food). In summary, rewilded elephants expressed an activity budget and foraging behaviour similar to lifelong wild elephants. Approaching foraging research with the appropriate level of complexity contributes to the detailed understanding of cognitive and behavioural opportunities associated with the exploration, selection, and processing of food. The rewilding of captive Asian elephants offers a compassionate model of conservation that might provide psychosocial benefits, in addition to boosting populations of free-living elephants; in this manner, rewilding might address both welfare and conservation priorities, further highlighting the need to address threats facing all members of Elephas maximus, captive and free.