Modeling population viability of captive elephants in Myanmar (Burma): implications for wild populations

Leimgruber, Peter; Senior, Briony; Aung, Myint; Songer, Melissa; Mueller, Thomas; Wemmer, Chris; Ballou, Jonathan D.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00172.x

Cited by 66 publications

(130 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

124

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Parameters for the 7 scenarios were determined from the Lao national elephant registration database and other published demographic data (Lair 1997, Leimgruber et al 2008, ElefantAsia 2012 (Table 1). From the database we were able to accurately specify vital parameters, such as elephant age, sex and initial population size.…”

Section: Baseline Parameters For Pva Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following Leimgruber et al (2008), the age of first offspring and the mortality rates for bulls and cows were considered to be alike, since we did not wish to overstate the rate of extinction. We used infant mortality rates based on Leimgruber et al (2008) for captive elephants rather than wild elephant mortality rates indicated by Armbruster et al (1999) or wild elephant mortality rates for Sri Lankan populations (Sukumar 2003).…”

Section: Baseline Parameters For Pva Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…VORTEX software was chosen for our analyses as its simulation program is suitable for species with low fecundity, long life spans and uneven sex ratios (Lacy 1993, Miller & Lacy 2005. Asian elephant PVA has been undertaken on wild populations in Sumatra (Sukumar & Santiapillai 1993), wild populations in Sri Lanka (Sukumar 2003) and captive populations in Myanmar (Leimgruber et al 2008). Perhaps because of the controllable environment in which they exist, and the substantial investments made by zoos, Asian elephant PVA has often been performed on small, ex situ populations rather than populations in home ranges.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ex situ Asian elephant PVA includes populations in Australian zoos (Myroniuk 2004), North American zoos (Faust et al 2006) and the viability of Asian elephant cows in European zoos (Clubb et al 2009). Similar to Leimgruber et al (2008) we ran our model on a 500 yr timeframe rather than 100 or 1000 yr. A 100 yr timeframe may give declining populations false indicators of population perpetuity (Armbruster et al 1999). Moderately longer timescales are recommended for populations with a negative growth rate and long generations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Population viability of captive Asian elephants in the Lao PDR

Suter¹,

Maurer²,

Baxter³

2014

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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. KEY WORDS: Asian elephants · Captive elephants · Elephas maximus · Lao PDR · Population viability · VORTEX Resale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisherEndang Species Res 24: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] 2014 fragmentation, poaching and human− elephant conflict (Norachack 2002, Sukumar 2006, Khounboline 2011. A lack of capacity and investment in conservation are also recognized as major species management impediments (Norachack 2002, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry 2009).For centuries captive elephants have shaped Lao communities, with only minor deviations from traditional practices occurring. Both elephant acquisition and usage have changed, bringing about a major change in mahout lifestyle. Historically a calf would be captured from the wild as needed by the local mahout community. The viability of the captive elephant population was never considered until the Government of Laos introduced a ban on wild elephant capture in 1989 (Sukumar 2003). This ban had an immediate impact on the captive elephant population, with few calves entering the population since 1989 (Fig. 1). As long as elephants were traditionally captured from wild populations, mahouts never needed any knowledge of elephant reproduction (Lair 1997). As a result, the captive population now confronts a number of demographic challenges such as an aging population, inadequate replacement rate, a declining number of females of reproductive age, a lack of breeding opportunities and, recently, excessive calf exportation (Lair 1997, Sukumar 2003, ElefantAsia 2007, Khounboline 2011. Under CITES rental agreements it is believed that over the past 5 yr the Government of Laos has exported an estimated 10% of the nation's calves (S. Duffillot, pers. comm., 12 September 2012). Rentals or outright gifts are typically granted to countries sy...

show abstract

Section: Baseline Parameters For Pva Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Baseline Parameters For Pva Scenariosmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Population viability of captive Asian elephants in the Lao PDR

Suter¹,

Maurer²,

Baxter³

2014

Endang. Species. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Piper and Cranbrook (2007) propose the reintroduction of the Malayan tapir to the Planted Forest Zone in Sarawak, which consists of 490,000 ha of primary, secondary and industrial plantation forests, while several projects are attempting to re-establish orangutans in areas from which they have been extirpated (Corlett 2009a). With an estimated 16,000 captive elephants in Asia and many of these unwanted as their use in logging declines, the major problem with the Asian elephant is a lack of suitable habitat, rather than a shortage of animals for release (Leimgruber et al 2008). In contrast, both species of forest rhinoceros are critically endangered and neither has a captive population.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered Ecologies: Fire, climate and human influence on terrestrial landscapes: Terra Australis 32

Haberle¹,

Stevenson²,

Prebble³

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

terra australis 32Terra Australis reports the results of archaeological and related research within the south and east of Asia, though mainly Australia, New Guinea and island Melanesia -lands that remained terra australis incognita to generations of prehistorians. Its subject is the settlement of the diverse environments in this isolated quarter of the globe by peoples who have maintained their discrete and traditional ways of life into the recent recorded or remembered past and at times into the observable present.Since the beginning of the series, the basic colour on the spine and cover has distinguished the regional distribution of topics as follows: ochre for Australia, green for New Guinea, red for South-East Asia and blue for the Pacific Islands. From 2001, issues with a gold spine will include conference proceedings, edited papers and monographs which in topic or desired format do not fit easily within the original arrangements. All volumes are numbered within the same series. Copyright of the text remains with the contributors/authors, 2009. This book is copyright in all countries subscribing to the Berne convention. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher. Among saltbush greyer than seaweed we boardwalk the yeasting waves of the old golden-perch pond. List of volumes in Terra AustralisRabbit dung dots a lake bottom dry since their coming -only once, last century, after seven inches of rain a farmer had to rescue his sheep by boat.The roo bounces down-slope, a brown branch crackling.The professor's eye, noting the local runoff and what the westerlies do, observes seas that rush in and out of a continent's middle, salt lakes spreading and emptying, hills pimpling up and down with cartoon-like speed, or gullying themselves into extinction, rainforests and deserts zipping back and forth like Tom and Jerry. A human mouse plague swiftly swarms, perhaps soon gone.Impermanent planet. Impermanent surface. All under air and water. The lunette is a wave, a dumper of sand, a collapsing tower in the mad rabbit years when its top blew off and old bones winked through, with a vault's worth of fine stone cores.Once so simply mislaid in sand, now so obligingly sluiced out to the un-subincised world that smiles at stone knives. terra australis 32Altered Ecologies: Fire, climate and human influence on terrestrial landscapes v You might as well offer your table knife to a carpenter.Cane grass and the Dreamtime's stone fight the eroding rivulets together. In today's rare downpour each lost core, or blunted scraper crowns some tiny eroding hillock, plops its anchor in the dissolving silts.The bettong whose skin took off the stone tool's edge has vanished -sacrifice to future fertility.Through the softening soil Homo sapiens's skeleton bumps up like a carp's back.Waits for the wind to shave it off in pieces.A D-section and a ti...

show abstract