Elephants

1. Elephants Herd Behavior by Nichole Renae Sommers February 5, 2010

2. Research Questions • 1.  How is a herd started?2.  Can a herd ever be too big to where it needs to separate into smaller herds?3.  Who is in charge in the herd?  Who makes the decisions?4.  Do elephants have any other "human" like behavior?5.  When in zoos, do African and Asian elephants live together and create their own herds?

3. Breeds of Elephants • There are two breeds of elephants: African and Asian • The following two slides are screen shots of a chart that compares the two breeds. This chart can be found on the Indianapolis Zoo website.

4. Asian vs. African Breeds

6. How is a herd started? Can a herd ever be too big to where it needs to separate into smaller herds? • “An elephant family may split and form a subgroup of adult cows and their young depending on the amount of food available, the size of the family and how well the herd is getting along.” (Elephant Kinships)

7. Who is in charge in the herd?  Who makes the decisions? • “A matriarch, who is usually the oldest and largest female, is a central figure in the herd. Being the oldest, she carries with her the years of knowledge to guide the family through home ranges to find sources of food and water during the dry seasons.” (Elephant Kinships)

8. Do elephants have any other "human" like behavior? • “Elephants are known to mourn their dead, teach their youngsters proper herd behavior and healthy habits, like caking themselves in mud to avoid sunburn. Males approaching maturity receive guidance and wisdom of other bulls in order to become well-adjusted adults.” (IDA Campaigns)

9. When in zoos, do African and Asian elephants live together and create their own herds? • “It was quite common for African and Asian elephants to be kept in the same enclosure and this still occurs today. An African/Asian hybrid is possible, although the calf only survived for two weeks. Please note that elephants will accept elephants of a different species, but the small group dos not really constitute a herd.” (ask-an-expert)

10. Elephant Herds in Zoos • “Elephants in captivity have no herd structure because most of our captive situations do not represent natural elephant herd development. Herd size in zoos has rarely grown to a size in which multiple infants have a chance to mature together. This social void can impact an elephant later in life, not knowing or understanding appropriate social behavior if an elephant is moved into a different group adolescent and sub adults will want to spar and even fight to establish their positions.” (IDA Campaigns)

11. “Captive elephants commonly suffer from foot and joint problems, stress related disorders such as impaired immune and kidney function, stereotypic behaviors such as weaving, and aggression, sometimes directed at keepers to frequently fatal ends.” (IDA Campaigns)

12. Conclusion • After reading the different information my sources provided, I feel sad for the elephants being held in zoos that are too small for their needs and for the loss they have by not having that social experience that the herd in the wild provides for them. • I think it is fascinating how elephants get along the wild and have their own little social “society.” I hope that herd structure can become a priority for zoos and try to at least improve their conditions. They are wonderful animals and deserve a better quality of life.