Abstract
South Africa has seen a recent increase in the number of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) maintained in reserves and parks and managed in free contact, where they may spend a significant amount of time in close proximity to humans. This study investigates how individual elephants choose to initiate interactions with humans by examining whether interaction types and frequencies vary both between elephants and with regards to the category of human involved in the interaction. Observations were made on a herd of seven captive African elephants frequently exposed to elephant handlers (guides), volunteers (who carry out general observations for the park’s research unit), and tourists. The elephants differed in the frequencies with which they initiated interactions with each category of human and in the types of behaviors they used to initiate interactions. However, all of the elephants interacted most frequently with guides. Certain individual elephants showed preferences in interacting with specific guides, indicating particular elephant-guide bonds. This study provides evidence for elephant-handler bonds as well as information on the extent of interactions between humans and African elephants managed in free contact.
Highlights
As wild elephant populations decline, many African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are maintained in reserves and parks across Southern Africa, where they may spend a significant amount of time in close proximity to humans
Captive elephants are maintained in parks and zoos where management techniques range from protected contact to free contact, a method where elephant handlers work alongside elephants with no physical barrier
Despite the large number of elephants living in captive facilities, there is little information on the interactions that take place between captive African elephants and the humans with whom they are in contact
Summary
As wild elephant populations decline, many African elephants (Loxodonta africana) are maintained in reserves and parks across Southern Africa, where they may spend a significant amount of time in close proximity to humans. Captive elephants are maintained in parks and zoos where management techniques range from protected contact to free contact, a method where elephant handlers work alongside elephants with no physical barrier. Despite the large number of elephants living in captive facilities, there is little information on the interactions that take place between captive African elephants and the humans with whom they are in contact. The effects of human–animal interactions (HAIs) have been studied extensively across a variety of species. Interactions with humans may have the effect of reducing stress in dogs, a quality that
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