Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-s22k5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-11T11:49:42.676Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Introduction of Foreign Female Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) Into an Existing Group: Behavioural Reactions and Changes in Cortisol Levels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2023

J Schmid ,
M Heistermann ,
U Gansloßer  and
J K Hodges
J Schmid*
Affiliation:
Zoologisches Institut I, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
M Heistermann
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Centre, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
J K Hodges
Affiliation:
Department of Reproductive Biology, German Primate Centre, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
*
‡ Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: schmid-berlis.bonn@t-online.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The present study examined the extent to which the introduction of three female Asian elephants (aged 3, 11, and 27 years) into a group of 1.4 (1 male, 4 female) elephants at Münster zoo, Germany, affects the behaviour and urinary Cortisol levels of the animals involved. At Münster, only the females were monitored — the bull was mainly kept separate. Behavioural observations were carried out before transfer and during the six-month period following transfer, and urine samples were collected regularly from each elephant during the whole observation period. All elephants showed behavioural changes to the process of introduction. The transferred animals increased their social behaviour after arrival in the foreign zoo. Two of them showed an increase in stereotypies and one a reduction in stereotypies. The elephants at Münster reacted with decreased frequencies of stereotypies and increased frequencies of social behaviour and manipulation/exploration behaviour. Six months after transfer, three of the four elephants at Münster and one of the three transferred elephants showed nearly the same behavioural activity pattern as before transfer. One female still showed elevated stereotypic behaviour. From the four elephants in which Cortisol measurements could be reliably performed (two of the transferred elephants and two elephants at Münster), only one individual at Münster responded to the process of introduction with a short-term elevation in urinary Cortisol levels. One elephant showed a negative correlation between locomotion and Cortisol levels and one a positive correlation between stereotypies and Cortisol levels. Taken together, the results suggest that transfer and introduction caused some stress responses in the elephants, but that stress was neither prolonged nor severe. Serious welfare problems may have been prevented through individual behavioural coping mechanisms and former experience with stressful situations.

Keywords

animal welfareAsian elephantbehaviourstressurinary Cortisol
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , November 2001 , pp. 357 - 372
Copyright
© 2001 UfAW, The Old School, Brewhouse Hill, Wheathampstead, Herts ALA 8AN, UK

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adler, H J 1996 ‘Hands-off, protected contact or free contact: linguistic and other problems in elephant husbandry, international Zoo News 43 (No 1): 18–24Google Scholar
Bohus, B, Koolhaas, J M, Nyakas, C, Steffens, A B, Fokkema, D S and Scheurink, A J W 1987 Physiology of stress: a behavioural view. In: Wiepkema, P R and van Adrichem, P W M (eds) Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach pp 57–70. Martinus Nijhoff: Dordrecht, NetherlandsCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Broom, D M and Johnson, K G 1993 Stress and Animal Welfare. Chapman & Hall: London, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Borell, E and Hurnik, J F 1991 Stereotypic behavior, adrenocortical function, and open field behavior of individually confined gestating sows. Physiology and Behavior 49: 709–713CrossRefGoogle Scholar
crown, J and Lehnhardt, J 1995 Serum and urinary hormones during pregnancy and the peri- and postpartum period in an Asian elephant. Zoo Biology 14: 555–564Google Scholar
crown, J, Wemmer, C M and Lehnhardt, J 1995 Urinary Cortisol analysis for monitoring adrenal activity in elephants. Zoo Biology 14: 533–542Google Scholar
cantzer, R and Mormède, P 1981 Can physiological criteria be used to assess welfare in pigs. In: Sybesma, W (ed) The Welfare of Pigs pp 53–73. Martinus Nijhoff: Dordrecht, NetherlandsCrossRefGoogle Scholar
antzer, R, Gonyou, H W, Curtis, S E and Kelley, K W 1987 Changes in serum Cortisol reveal functional differences in frustration-induced chain chewing in pigs. Physiology and Behavior 39: 775–777CrossRefGoogle Scholar
antzer, R 1991 Stress, stereotypies and welfare. Behavioural Processes 25: 95–102CrossRefGoogle Scholar
athe, H H, Kuckelhorn, B and Minnemann, D 1992 Salivary Cortisol assessment for stress detection in the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus): a pilot study. Zoo Biology 11: 285–289Google Scholar
orresteyn, T and Belterman, R 1999 EEP Studhook for the Asian elephant. Rotterdam Zoo: NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
ngel, J 1997 Signifikante Schule der schlichten Statistik. Filander Verlag: Fürth, Germany [Title translation: Significant school of simple statistics]Google Scholar
oymann, W, East, M L, Hofer, H, Van't, Hof T and Mostl, E 1998 Non-invasive glucocorticoid hormone measurement in spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta. In: Hofer, H, Pitra, C and Hofmann, R R (eds) Contributions to the 2nd International Symposium on Physiology and Ethology of Wild and Zoo Animals, 7-10 October, Berlin, Germany. Advances in Ethology 33, Supplements to Ethology pp 19. Blackwell Wissenshafts: Berlin, GermanyGoogle Scholar
enry, J P and Stephens, P M 1977 Stress, Health, and the Social Environment. Springer-Verlag: Heidelberg, GermanyGoogle Scholar
nsen, P and Toates, F M 1997 Stress as a state of motivational systems. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 53: 145–156Google Scholar
irke, M H, Czekala, N M, Lindburg, D G and Millard, S E 1997 Fecal corticoid metabolite measurement in the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). Zoo Biology 16: 133–147Google Scholar
ennes, D and Rycke, P H 1988 Influence on the performance of stereotypies on plasma corticosterone and leucocyte levels on bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus). In: Unselm, J, van Putten, G, Zeeb, K and Ekebo, K (eds) Proceedings of the International Conference on Farm Animals. Skara, Sweden pp 238240. K.TBL: Darmstadt, GermanyGoogle Scholar
idewig, J 1987 Endocrine aspects of stress: evaluation of stress reactions in farm animals. In: Wiepkema, P R and van Adrichem, P W M (eds) Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach pp 13-25. Martinus Nijhoff: Dordrecht, NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
artin, P and Bateson, P 1993 Measuring Behaviour. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UKCrossRefGoogle Scholar
ason, G J 1991 Stereotypies: a critical review. Animal Behaviour 41: 1015–1037Google Scholar
endoza, S P, Smotherman, W P, Miner, M, Kaplan, J and Levine, S 1978 Pituitary-adrenal response to separation in mother and infant squirrel monkeys. Developmental Psychobiology 11: 169–175CrossRefGoogle Scholar
iberg, F O 1987 Behavioural responses to stress in farm animals. In: Wiepkema, P R and van Adrichem, P W M (eds) Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach pp 135–150. Martinus Nijhoff: Dordrecht, NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
ten, T 1994 AZA Elephant Management Guidelines. AZA Communiqué (October): 11Google Scholar
ilme, R and Möstl, E 1997 Measurement of Cortisol metabolites in faeces of sheep as a parameter of Cortisol concentration in blood. International Journal of Mammal Biology 62: 192–197 (Suppl II)Google Scholar
Trott, R F and Thornton, S N 1988 Stress-induced changes in hormone secretion and osmoregulation in sheep. In: Unselm, J, van Putten, G, Zeeb, K and Ekcbo, K (eds) Proceedings of the International Conference on Farm Animals, Skara, Sweden pp 163–165. K.TBL: Darmstadt, GermanyGoogle Scholar
ishen, J 1986 Some problems with the physiological concept of stress. Australian Veterinary Journal 63: 359–361Google Scholar
chser, N and Lick, C 1991 Social experience, behaviour and stress in guinea pigs. Physiology and Behavior 50: 83–90Google Scholar
Schmid, J 1998a Status and reproductive capacity of the Asian elephant in zoos and circuses in Europe. International Zoo News 45/6 (No 287): 341–351Google Scholar
Schmid, J 1998b Hands off, hands on: some aspects of keeping elephants. International Zoo News 45/8 (No 289): 476–486Google Scholar
Schouten, W, Rushen, J and de Passillé, A M B 1991 Stereotypic behavior and heart rate in pigs. Physiology and Behavior 50: 617–624CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schouten, W G P and Wiepkema, PR 1991 Coping styles of tethered sows. Behavioural Processes 25: 125–132CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schwarzenberger, F, Kolter, L, Zimmermann, W, Rietschel, W, Matern, B, Bircher, P and Leus, K 1998 Faecal Cortisol metabolite measurement in the okapi (Okapia johnstoni). In: Hofer, H, Pitra, C and Hofmann, R R (eds) Contributions to the 2nd International Symposium on Physiology and Ethology of Wild and Zoo Animals, 7—10 October, Berlin, Germany. Advances in Ethology 33, Supplements to Ethology pp 28. Blackwell Wissenshafts: Berlin, GermanyGoogle Scholar
Sukumar, R 1994 Elephant Days and Nights. Ten Years with the Indian Elephant. Oxford University Press: Oxford, UKGoogle Scholar
Terlouw, EMC, Lawrence, A B and lllius, A W 1991 Influences of feeding level and physical restriction on development of stereotypies in sows. Animal Behaviour 42: 981–991CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tudge, C 1991 Last Animals in the Zoo — How Mass Extinction can be Stopped. Hutchinson Radius: London, UKGoogle Scholar
von Hoist, D 1994 Auswirkungen sozialer Kontakte bei Säugetieren. Biologie in unserer Zeit 24/4: 164–174 [Title translation: Effects of social contact in mammals]Google Scholar
Wemelsfelder, F 1993 The concept of animal boredom and its relationship to stereotyped behaviour. In: Lawrence, A B and Rushen, J (eds) Stereotypic Animal Behaviour: Fundamentals and Applications to Welfare pp 65–97. CAB International: Wallington, UKGoogle Scholar
Wiepkema, P R 1987 Behavioural aspects of stress. In: Wiepkema, P R and van Adrichem, P W M (eds) Biology of Stress in Farm Animals: An Integrative Approach pp 113–133. Martinus Nijhoff: Dordrecht, NetherlandsCrossRefGoogle Scholar