Recent Publications on Asian Elephants

Human–elephant conflict is a major problem leading to crop damage, human death by elephants and elephants being killed by people. The surveillance and tracking of elephant herds are difficult due to their size and nature of movement. Materials: In this article, we propose a four-wheeled quadruped robot to mitigate human–elephant conflict. The robot can detect movement of wild pachyderms in certain pockets along the forest borders through which the elephants enter into the human living areas from the forest. The robot is so designed that it can navigate with wheels on flat terrains and with legs on unfriendly rugged terrains with the help of mounted cameras. Methods: The images of the wild elephant are captured and transmitted to the base stations and an SMS is sent to the forest officials indicating an elephant is found. We obtain a suitable kinematic model for both legs and wheels with control algorithm for the quadruped robot to move along a predetermined path. Conclusion: The quadruped robot proposed is a solution to detect elephant movement without affecting the ecological conditions to overcome human–elephant conflict. The unpredictability of time and location of elephant arrival into the villages are considered the major issues that are resolved in this work. The results of our work contribute to elephant conservation issues and are suitable for the detection of elephants in forest border areas. © 2013 ISAROB. I.C. Suter, G.P. Maurer & G. Baxter Population viability of captive Asian elephants in the Lao PDR Endangered Species Research 24 (2014) 1-7 Abstract. Asian elephants Elephas maximus have been captured and trained by Lao mahouts for centuries. While captive elephants are losing their traditional relevance, they still play a significant role in the Lao logging and tourism industries. However, with only an estimated 480 captive elephants remaining nationally and only ~60 cows under 35 yr of age, the future viability of this population is uncertain. We assessed >80% of the captive elephant population and used VORTEX software to create 7 population viability analysis scenarios. Our results demonstrate that without changes to conservation management the current population is likely to be extinct in 112 yr (r = -0.099). Reduced mortality rates, increased reproductive rates and population supplementation will give the population an additional 108 yr of longevity, but will not, of themselves, prevent extinction. Management programs should direct efforts towards in situ breeding programs, a cessation in calf exportation, improved veterinary care and population supplementation. Since captive populations are also small and declining in other range nations, there is also a case for managing all Asian elephants as a single management unit. © 2014 Inter-Research. A.A.E. van der Geer, G.A. Lyras, L.W. van den Hoek Ostende, J.de Vos & H. Drinia A dwarf elephant and a rock mouse on Naxos (Cyclades, Greece) with a revision of the palaeozoogeography of the Cycladic Islands (Greece) during the Pleistocene Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 404 (2014) 133-144 Abstract. During the Late Pleistocene, Naxos and adjacent areas, including Delos and Paros, constituted a mega-island, here referred to as palaeo-Cyclades. The extensive low-lying plains with lakes and rivers provided a suitable habitat for elephants. Due to long-term isolation from the mainland and mainland populations, these elephants evolved miniature size. The species found on Naxos had a body size of about ten percent of that of the mainland ancestor, Palaeoloxodon antiquus. During the glacial periods of the Late Pleistocene, P. antiquus may have migrated eastwards and southwards in search of better conditions and reached the islands. The dwarf