Managing elephants in the modern world: the impact of changes in traditional handling on semi-captive Asian elephant welfare

Abstract

The current extinction crisis is leaving us increasingly reliant on captive populations to maintain vulnerable species. Approximately one third of the remaining global Asian elephant population (~15,000) are managed by humans and live in captivity to some extent (1). The vast majority reside in semi-captive conditions in range countries, and their relationship with humans stretches back millennia. Despite this long history, they have never been fully domesticated as they have always reproduced independently of humans (2). Instead, we rely on expert knowledge accumulated over generations of specialised elephant handlers, known as mahouts, to handle these essentially wild animals. This ancient profession, and the associated prestige and lifestyle, may be under threat in the modern day. Little is known about how invaluable mahout knowledge will survive, and how any recent changes may affect elephant welfare. Our study focuses on the keeping system of semi-captive timber elephants in Myanmar. As the only country still extensively employing elephants in the logging industry, Myanmar has the largest captive population of Asian elephants in the world (~5000), with the largest remaining traditional mahout system (1). Here we investigated how recent changes within the country may have affected the mahout system and the elephants in their care. Through interviews with experts of over 10 years' experience and with current mahouts from camps in Northern Myanmar (n=145), we found that mahouts now are younger (median age 22), less experienced (median 2 years), and change elephants frequently; factors indicating a threat to traditional knowledge transfer. We next assessed the impact of these mahout characteristics on elephant health (haematology, nutrition, serum chemistry) and stress hormone levels (faecal glucocorticoid), to better understand the effects of these demographic shifts on the well-being of elephants across their range countries. Our study provides an insight into how changes to the traditional handling of semi-captive populations need to be considered within the conservation management in this endangered species, which is applicable across their range. We specifically suggest a need for an active circulation of expert knowledge through formal training, rather than relying on passive knowledge transfer.

1. Sukumar, R. The living elephants: evolutionary ecology, behaviour, and conservation. Oxford University Press (2003).

2. Lair, R. C. Gone Astray: The Care and Management of the Asian Elephant in Domesticity. FAO, Bangkok (Thailand); Rome (Italy) (1997).