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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Risk and ethical concerns of hunting male elephant: Behavioural and physiological assays of the remaining elephants
PLoS ONE, Volume 3, No. 6, Article e2417, Year 2008
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Description
Background: Hunting of male African elephants may pose ethical and risk concerns, particularly given their status as a charismatic species of high touristic value, yet which are capable of both killing people and damaging infrastructure. Methodology/Principal Findings: We quantified the effect of hunts of male elephants on (1) risk of attack or damage (11 hunts), and (2) behavioural (movement dynamics) and physiological (stress hormone metabolite concentrations) responses (4 hunts) in Pilanesberg National Park. For eleven hunts, there were no subsequent attacks on people or infrastructure, and elephants did not break out of the fenced reserve. For three focal hunts, there was an initial flight response by bulls present at the hunting site, but their movements stabilised the day after the hunt event. Animals not present at the hunt (both bulls and herds) did not show movement responses. Physiologically, hunting elephant bulls increased faecal stress hormone levels (corticosterone metabolites) in both those bulls that were present at the hunts (for up to four days post-hunt) and in the broader bull and breeding herd population (for up to one month post-hunt). Conclusions/Significance: As all responses were relatively minor, hunting male elephants is ethically acceptable when considering effects on the remaining elephant population; however bulls should be hunted when alone. Hunting is feasible in relatively small enclosed reserves without major risk of attack, damage, or breakout. Physiological stress assays were more effective than behavioural responses in detecting effects of human intervention. Similar studies should evaluate intervention consequences, inform and improve best practice, and should be widely applied by management agencies. © 2008 Burke et al.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2426916/bin/pone.0002417.s001.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC2426916/bin/pone.0002417.s002.tif
Authors & Co-Authors
Burke, Tarryne
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Page, Bruce R.
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
van Dyk, Gus
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Millspaugh, Joshua J.
United States, Columbia
University of Missouri
Slotow, Robert H.
South Africa, Durban
University of Kwazulu-natal
Statistics
Citations: 48
Authors: 5
Affiliations: 2
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0002417
e-ISSN:
19326203
Study Design
Randomised Control Trial
Cross Sectional Study
Participants Gender
Male