Abstract
The population of wild Asian elephants Elephas maximus is declining worldwide; therefore, understanding the dynamics of the remaining population is critical for effective conser- vation. We monitored the population and distribution of elephants in Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand between May 2010 and March 2011. Using 32 camera trap locations and 1391 trap nights, we recorded 882 elephant photos. A total of 180 individuals were identified in the photos and classified as follows: 55 adult males, 60 adult females, 11 sub-adult males, 17 sub-adult females, 18 juveniles, and 19 calves. The age structure ratio (based on adult females) was 0.9 : 1.0 : 0.2 : 0.3 : 0.3 : 0.4, and the ratio of reproductive ability between adult females, juveniles, and calves was 1.0 : 0.3 : 0.3. The ratio between adult females and infants was highest in areas con- taining a high concentration of salt licks, which could indicate that salt licks are a keystone resource for wild Asian elephants.
Highlights
The continuous destruction of forested areas in Asia has had a negative impact on wildlife, Asian elephants Elephas maximus
A total of 180 individuals were identified from 882 photographs at 23 camera trap sites in Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary
The population was classified as consisting of 55 adult males, 60 adult females, 11 sub-adult males, sub-adult females, juveniles, and calves, with a ratio of 0.9 : 1 : 0.2 : 0.3 : 0.3 : 0.4 using the adult female as a reference
Summary
The continuous destruction of forested areas in Asia has had a negative impact on wildlife, Asian elephants Elephas maximus. The population of wild elephants has declined from estimates of 41 410 to 52 345 individuals in 2003 (Sukumar 2003) to between 25 600 and 32 750 individuals in 2006 (WWF 2006). Camera traps can be effective tools for the documentation of wildlife (Rowcliffe & Carbone 2008). This technology is an unobtrusive method for animal observation in any habitat (Silveira et al 2003) and has been successfully used for individual identification of large mammal species (Lyra-Jorge et al 2008). Camera traps appropriately estimated (with a small error) African elephant populations
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