Movements of Semi-captive Elephants during Skidding Season in Myanmar

Abstract

Semi-captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) engaged in forestry activities in Myanmar account for 20% of all captive and semi-captive Asian elephants in the world, and are important for both forestry and the conservation of Asian elephant populations. Understanding moving behavior of the semi-captive elephants is required to sustain them. Our specific goals are 1) to determine the moving range during free time, and 2) to determine the hourly moving distance during skidding and when off duty. Three elephants were fitted with handheld global navigation satellite systems with the signals of global positioning system to collect data on their movements. The elephants were generally located between 0.534 and 0.875 km from the camp with temporary housing of the elephant handler when not skidding (i.e., free time) and between 1.365 and 1.372 km when skidding (i.e., work time). The hourly moving distance during free time (0.622–0.655 km) and work time (1.522 and 1.629 km) did not differ greatly from the hourly moving distance of wild Asian elephants (0.010–1.500 km). The elephants remained within 0.875 km of the camp of the elephant handler, and some variation in movements among individuals was observed during free time. Thus, the conservation of forest in areas near the camp is important for the well-being of these elephants.