VITAL SIGNS AND FIRST OCCURRENCES IN NORMAL AND ABNORMAL NEWBORN ASIAN ELEPHANT (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS) CALVES

Abstract

Sixteen years of medical records documenting 19 births within a herd of Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus) at a private facility in the southeastern United States were reviewed. Of the 19 calves, 11 were normal at birth, requiring no additional veterinary care, and eight were abnormal, requiring veterinary care immediately or within the first week of birth. Descriptive statistics were used to evaluate morphometrics, vital signs, and behavioral milestones in newborn calves both normal and abnormal. Blood work and urinalysis results from all calves were compared to values for adult elephants. Medical management of abnormal calves is described. All calves had faster heart rates and respiratory rates than did adult elephants, but rectal temperatures were the same. Calves were precocious with regard to sitting and standing but could be very slow to nurse. The most-common medical conditions of newborn calves were umbilical abnormalities and problems associated with nursing. Two calves required cardiopulmonary resuscitation after birth but made full recoveries. Some conditions were not apparent at birth but were recognized a few hours or days later. Following veterinary intervention, six of the eight calves made full recoveries, suggesting that early identification and treatment of problems can greatly decrease mortality. This is the first report of multiple veterinary and behavioral parameters in normal and abnormal neonatal Asian elephants from a facility with a calf survival rate above 90%. This information may be helpful to other elephant-holding facilities in providing care to their newborn elephant calves.

An adolescent female African elephant (Loxodonta africana) gave birth to an abnormal calf

“…Calves unable to stand within 24 h of birth typically face a bleak prognosis. Records highlight an Asian elephant calf, ‘L', requiring 6 h to walk after birth and not surviving beyond its first year (Wiedner et al., 2017 ). Nonetheless, instances of Asian elephants overcoming birth difficulties through artificial care are also documented.…”

“…For instance, elephant calf ‘C' faced challenges in standing, suckling, a torn umbilicus, respiratory arrest, arrhythmia, and a stature too short for nursing. With medical intervention and assisted care, the calf's standing issues were resolved within 24 h, enabling its survival beyond a year (Wiedner et al., 2017 ).…”

Heart rate patterns of captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in their natural habitat at Wild Elephant Valley, Xishuangbanna of China

“…Average HR of 37 adult female Asian elephants when they stood was 30 bpm, ranging from 22 to 39 bpm, and after lying down, the HR increased by 8–10 bpm [ 6 ]. The HR of healthy newborn Asian elephants were 93 ± 25 bpm (range: 70–140 bpm), which were much higher than those of adult elephants [ 7 ]. The weight of the young elephant is much smaller than that of the adult Asian elephant.…”

Anthropometric and blood data on a hand-reared captive Asian elephant (<i>Elephas maximus</i>) calf: A retrospective case report

“…However, no studies have reported on the factors affecting growth or immunological status in hand-reared Asian elephant calves. Unfortunately, few data are available on the anthropometric and blood parameters of hand-reared Asian elephants, although these would be valuable growth indicators [24]. Recently, we hand-raised an Asian elephant calf for 14 months; here, we report the anthropometric and blood data for this calf, along with the data for other elephant calves cared for by their real mothers or allomothers.…”