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Researchers Fear for Future of Newly Discovered Elephant

1 April 2009

Categories: Homepage News, Elephants Campaign News, Zoo Check Campaign News

The article below was an April fool’s joke – although it contains many truths, and these truths are no joke for thousands of captive elephants worldwide.

(Washington, DC)—American and British conservation biologists, in coordination with scientific educators and zoological researchers, have announced today the possible discovery of a distinct new elephant sub-species, which they have named Elephas maximus zoochoticus. However, the species, which exists in small populations scattered throughout various countries globally, is already thought to be at risk of extinction.

“While it is an incredibly exciting day for all of us in the conservation community to announce the existence of a new elephant sub-species,” noted Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundation and Born Free USA, “the highly endangered status of Elephas maximus zoochoticus may mean we have only a short time to study and understand this unique sub-species before it disappears.”

Researchers have identified a number of specific physical attributes that sets Elephas maximus zoochoticus apart from the superficially similar wild Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and even more so from wild African elephants (Loxodonta africana).

These include:

• Shortened legs with distinctive narrowing of the limbs, possibly resulting from enforced muscle atrophy due to movement restrictions.
• A reduction in ear size, possibly due to a reduced need for thermo-regulation
• Cracked skin, often with horny growths.
• Hardening of the footpads thought to have developed to cope with unnatural underfoot conditions, such as cement flooring.

Elephas maximus zoochoticus has adapted remarkably to its specific habitat throughout its range. It is known to be confined to very small territories – some as small as one-tenth or one-quarter of an acre. Unlike African savannah elephants who require many square miles of habitat, or African and Asian forest elephants who inhabit often dense jungles and whose daily range is determined by the availability of naturally occurring foods, individuals of this distinct sub-species are thought by some to require little more than a small area of stable substrate (such as dirt or cement) and, where feasible, a tree or two.  In the colder times of year, long-term observations indicate that Elephas maximus zoochoticus are perfectly suited to spending long periods in small, indoor enclosures, where tethering may occur for significant periods of time.

In addition to physical characteristics, British scientists have identified specific behavioural adaptations that are widely represented across most individuals in the study sample.  Most obvious is pronounced swaying back and forth from foot to foot in precise, but seemingly pointless, patterns.

“It’s not behaviour I have witnessed in the wild,” commented Ian Redmond OBE, a prominent member of the research team. “But I can’t say I am surprised to see it so strongly manifested. The lack of natural stimuli experienced by these animals leads me to wonder whether the elephant is using its massive brain – four times the size of a human brain – for purposes we have yet to understand.   Evolution has equipped elephants to thrive in huge, varied habitats, so it is only natural that different characteristics will be selected for in concrete yards!”

Owners and keepers of Elephas maximus zoochoticus have experimented with ‘diversion therapy’, seeking to break down these stereotypies by requiring their animals to undertake other activities including tightrope walking, balancing on stools, and in a dramatic display of social cohesion, walking with their front feet on the back of their conspecifics (members of the same species). However, such mind-manipulation appears to have little lasting impact and the animals seem invariably to revert to swaying behaviour shortly thereafter.

“It seems as if this remarkable sub-species may disappear entirely before we really get to grips with what this behaviour means and whether it is a product of nature or nurture” said Dr Roger Mugford, the eminent international animal psychologist.

Travers supports Dr Mugford’s cautious remarks, despite the obvious importance of this dramatic global discovery: “We’ve looked back through the records over the last 50 or so years and can now say with some confidence that the accelerated evolution of this sub-species has been going on for perhaps two centuries. However, our records also indicate that individuals live less than half the average lifespan of their wild counterparts, that breeding rates are severely depressed and that even using artificial insemination we may not be able to reverse their terminal decline. Ironically, anyone wishing to see Elephas maximus zoochoticus would need to visit their local zoo as soon as possible if they want to witness what, undoubtedly, is a dying breed.”