Non-Invasive Monitoring Of Fecal Cortisol Metabolites Level In Free-Ranging Asiatic Elephants In Response To Stress Due To Environmental Factors

In the present study we determined the efficacy of the measurement of fecal cortisol levels in fifteen female adult free-ranging elephants of three different protected wildlife regions of Tamilnadu State, India during dry seasons (FebruaryJune, 2010) were examined. Fresh dung samples were collected in a sterile container with 80% methanol solution and brought to the laboratory and the samples were frozen at -20C until the extraction procedure. Using ELISA, the mean values of cortisol concentration from the examined dung samples were 158ng/g, 153ng/g and 26.4ng/g of feces from Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary, Anamalai wildlife sanctuary and Sathyamangalam-Erode forest divisions respectively. These data showed the determination of fecal cortisol level can be very useful and an appropriate technique for monitoring adrenal activity in wildlife and as a complement to behavioral, physiological, and pathological studies.