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A Preliminary Study of the Captive Elephants in Sri Lanka

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A Preliminary Study of the Captive Elephants in Sri Lanka A preliminary study of the captive elephants in Sri Lanka Anouk D. llangakoon Background two main objectives in mind; Collection of data on caprive elephanrs was initiaied druing ttre Navam Perehera held L To record as much derail as possible on in Colombo in the monrh of February 1991. A domesticated elephants as the inirial phase of total of 139 elephanrs took parr in rhe Perehera a statistical ccnsus on captive elephants in Sri on the nights of 27th and 28th of February bur Lanka. data were obtained on only 125 of rhem. The data were collected by hlling a specific dara 2. Through collection and analysis of data form for each animal and the form itself was on tlre physical feelurcs and disringuisbing prepard by FI especially for ttris purpose. The characteristics of caprive elephans, to investi- rebvent data on each animal were hlled on gate the possibility of applying the same criteria these forms while identification phorographs or parametersi in the identification o[ elephants were taken simultaneously for later reference, in the wild. All this was done during day rime on the 26rh, 27th and 28th whilc rhe elephans were rerhered Data collection at the Vlharamahadevi Park. Subsequently in July 1991 data were The necessary data were collected by ohained on an additional 56 caprive elephanrs filling a separar.e data sheer for each elephanr during the Esala Perehera Kandy. rhe in As and taking two corresponding photographs of elephans brought [or the Kandy Pcrchera were each animal (lront and side view) for later not confined to one central location but wer€ reference. Thc paramcrers undq which data scattered around the city and is pcriphery, dara were collected can be categorised as follows; collection was somewhat limited. The data were I. Name of elcphant and identificarion collected on rhe l7rh, 18rh and July 26rh of nurnber. 1991. ) Name and address of owner. These two slages of the zurvey enabled 3. Name and address of mahout. the FI team ro obrain dara on a roral of l8l 4. Age o[ mahout, number of years working domesticated elephans from around Sri Lanka. as a mahou! and duration with present elephant. Objectives of the suryey 5. Sex, age and hcight of elephanr. 6. Details on physical fearures of elephanr This survey was carried out as the inirial tusks, head, ears, arunk. aail. phase of an all island survey of caprive depigmentation and shackle marks. elephants, elephant owners and mahouu in Sri 7. Bchaviowal characteristics of elephant - Lanka. The data were garhered at this srage wirtr aggression, musti etc, GAJAH II, I9qt 29 llanglkoon 8. Food-quandry, conrposition, preferences. Sex and age structure 9. Utilizatiorr - nahre and duration of work dqre. The sex of the elephan! was recorded in a total o[ l8l animals and of lhese 99 were Data analysis females and 82 were males. The age of each animal was also recorded andcategorised r.rnder the data collected was trarslerred from ten year age groups. The results are are given the data sheets to a computer dala base. All the in Tablc. different categories o[ data were enlered into two data files created specially fm storagc and From Tuble l, it can be seen that the analysis of this data. While qre data file largest numbcr for malcs were in the 2l - 30 year contains all data relevant only to the elephanrs, age group and the 3l -40 year age group, with the other data file contains data pertaining to l7 animals in each. Analysis of this data the owners and mahouts. indicates that 4l.4Vo of the total number o[ male The data in the file containing details on captive elephants rccorded in lhis suwey are the ele.phants was analysed mainly wittr between the age of 2l and 40 years. In the case reference to physical feanrres, age scructure, of females, the largcst numbers were recorded behaviour, food, utilization and names given to in the 3l -40 year age group and 4l -50 year domesticated elephans in Sri Lanka. The data age group, with 26 animals coming within each in the file containing details of owners and group. Accordingly it can be calculatcd t}rat mahouts were analysed separately to get an idea 52.5Vo ol lhe total number of 99 females of the traditional system in which tame elephant recorded are betwccn thc agc ol 3l and 50 are cared for in the island, including the age years. Howevcr if the total numbcr of l8l stnJcture of mahous and the duration of time animals on which age data were obtained is they are engaged in this specific occupation. taken regardless of sex, it is seen that the largest number of 43 animals are within che 3l -40 year age group and corutitutes 23.7Vo ol the total. Results ,t , Therefore it can be inferred rhat while most The results obtained by analysing the captive elephants in Sri Lanka are between the data collected on l8l elephants in this prelimi- age of 21 and 50 years at prescnt the majoriry nary survey can be categorised under different age group for malcs is ten years less than t}at subjecs as follows:- for females. Table 1 Age groups of elephants Age Group Males Fcmalcs Total I - l0 years t4 a 2l ll - 20 years ll l3 24 2l - 30 years I7 16 33 3r - 40 years 17 26 43 4l - 50 years l3 26 39 5l - 60 years 8 7 r5 6l - 70 years 2 J ) 71 - 80 years 0 I I Total 82 99 r81 GAJAt-l ll, 1993 Ilqgrloo The maximum age recorded in this suwey was as well as the length, shape and hair pattem of of s 72 year old female while only ll.6% of tbe tail were analysed in detail for the purpose tbe total number of animals recorded are above of Frnding indivdual indentihcatiqr criteria for thc age of 50 years. Tb sarne perc€Dtage was possible application in luer rasearch m rccorded for the animals bellow ll years of age elephants in the wild. Tabulttion ard analysis and the minimuo age rcccded was of t2 year of data yielded the following results, old male. Tberefore it is seen that a large psrc€ntage of captive elephants of both sexes Gorrelation betwwn age, sex and in Sri Lanka are in the b'reeding, adult age group height at presenl Howwer very few of these animals ar€ ever used for the purpose of captive brceding, possibly due to the fact that this has Age, height and sex were recorded in 173 not been a trsditional practice in this corurtry. elephants in the course of the survey and this data was subj'ected to conpartive analysis o Physical features determine if there was any cqrelatiqr benleen the thre€ factors in Elephas mcimus. For the Tbe data collectd were analysed with pupose of analysis the data were hrst categcised regard to certain external physical featrues. This urder Frve year age groups, while the age wut included analysis of the relatuionship beween listed rurder I foot (12 inch) categories. The sex, age and height of the Sri Lar*a elephant number of males and females in each height- Other pysical fearures zuch as the shape, size, category for each age group was counted rcaring and depigmentation patterns of the ears separately as s@n in Table 2. Table 2: of Height category in feet Age group <= 6.0 6.1-7.0 7.r-8.0 8.1-9.0 9.1-10.0 =>10.1 0- 5 5- 6-10 4l 2 2 1- 1l-15 3 I ll .. 16-20 :l 2 27 -1 2r -25 : 3 84 6l 26-30 I l5 22 3r-35 3 65 l1 ; 36-40 I 110 43 4t-45 ,l 3 211 26 /15 - 50 l5 2r 4 5l-55 I l3 -2 4 l- 56-60 -l 6l-65 :: . -2 l- l- 65-70 -l 7r -75 I :- Total M/F ; I; ; 2/.55 I817 l6 20 Total for Height groups t2 28 79 35 l8 2 GA,AH ll. 1993 3t Ilugrloc Subsequently the same data wcre uralysed o thc age of 40 but above this age males continue asc€ilah the maximum recordd bcight, mini- !o grow taller while the growth rate in females silrm recorded tridrt, avenrge heiShl, and the decreases or slops completely. It can also be heigbt catcgory to which the majority of animals seen that the maximum rccorded heiglu in each in each five yer age Srolrp belongs. This was age gfoup above the age of 20 is always more wo'r*ed out seperately for -tleg ard fernales as in males than in females while tbe minimum given in Table 3, reco'rded height for each age gronp over 20 Table 3: Helght categorles In elephants Age Group Maximum Minimum Average Majority Height (in Years) Height Height Heiglr Caregcy MFMFMF MF 0-5 4.4 3.6 - 4.0 - <6.0 6- l0 7.6 6.6 6.0 5.6 6.4 6.2 c6.0 6.1:7.0 l1-15 8.0 8.0 6.6 5.10 'l.O 6.5 6.1-7.0 <6.0-8.0 16-20 8.0 8.0 6.6 7.0 7.0 7.6 6.1-7.0 7.1-8.0 2r-25 9.0 8.6 7.6 6.6 8.1 7.5 7.1-8.0 7.1-8.0 26-30- 9.0 8.6 8.0 6.6 8.5 7.8 8.1-9.0 7.1-8.0 3l-35 r0.0 9.6 7.6 6.0 8.3 7.6 7.1-8.0 7.1-8.0 36-40 10.0 9-6 8.6 7.0 9.0 8.1 8.1-9.0 7.1-8.0 4t-45 9.3 9.0 7.6 7.0 8.3 7.9 7.rr8.0 7.r-9.0 46-50 10.0 9.0 7.6 7.6 9.0 7.9 9.1-10.0 7.1-8.0 5l-55 10.11 9.0 7.6 7.0 9.4 8.0 9.1-10.0 7.1-8.0 56-60 9.6 8.0 9.6 8.0 9.6 - 9.1-10.0 7.1-8.0 61-65 10.0 8.0 8.6 7.6 - 8.1->10.1 7.1-8.0 66-70 -72 - 7.2 7.1-8.0 7r -75 6.6 6.6 - 6.1-7.0 Close surdy of these figures indicates ttrat in is generally lower in females than in males.
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