An additional african female elephant, tembo, who previously appeared in the tv series born free, has been at the zoo for 20 years and is now probably 36. In stark contrast to their natural tendency to roam several miles each day, they. The shorter life span is due to poaching or illegal hunting for ivory or other uses. African elephant, facts and photos national geographic. It is also good to know that elephants that live in captivity in zoos live shorter compared to their wild counterparts. Wild and longlived mason and colleagues looked at data from more than 4,500 wild and captive african and. The day has gone by when this was entertainment sat 12 aug 2017 03. Feeding asian and african elephants elephas maximus and. Feeding asian and african elephants elephas maximus and loxodonta africana in captivity article in international zoo yearbook 401 july 2006 with 1,730 reads how we measure reads. Calculation of longevity and life expectancy in captive. A total of 104 zoos held african elephants, and 114 zoos held asian elephants.
However, many zoos are taking measures to improve the life of elephants in their facilities and hope that these changes will extend the lives of their elephants. Only three of 11 african elephant calves born in zoos since 1998 were still alive as of june 2003. According to a 2008 study published in the journal science, african elephants live a median of 56 years in the wild, while asian elephants live about 41. Since the most obvious feature of the interaction between elephants and habitats is the effect of. Lifespan half that of wild animals, report says call for health checks and phasing out of captivity. Some statistics show that elephants born in zoos usually live around 2025 years. The survival of asian elephants elephas maximus in zoos will probably depend upon the importation of additional individuals. African elephant by logiee22 read free book online. There is evidence to suggest they have been around since 200 b. Those housed in european zoos had life spans up to three times shorter than animals from an african wildlife park or working in the logging. Zoo life shortens elephant lives in europe, study says october 25, 2002. Elephants in captivity in europe have a far shorter median lifespan than those living in protected areas in africa and asia, a new study has. Study finds elephants in zoos live shorter lives a study comparing over 4,500 elephants revealed that zoo life may be harmful to elephant health. Elephants in zoos live less than half as long as wild ones, shows.
For african elephants, the median life span is 17 years for zooborn. Suggested guidelines for captive elephant enrichment. Through elephant research we have been able to learn so much about their history and how they survive. An elephants life is a delightful and very informative book packed with excellent photos of elephant behavior and elephants just being magnificent. This chart shows the results of a study by scientists around the world. The findings show that captive elephants live considerably shorter lives. Calculation of longevity and life expectancy in captive elephants. Those that survived found themselves in a new world, struggling for survival. The savanna or bush elephant, loxodonta africana africana, inhabits grassy bushlands throughout. Wild elephants have long life spans and typically live 60 to 70 years of age.
These scientists looked at 40 years of information from zoos, about 800 elephants. What has been observed is that there are three distinct sections of the life of an elephant. Wild elephants live longer than their zoo counterparts. Hence, the success rate of breeding elephants in captivity is very low, with calves experiencing high mortality rates. In 2016, the great elephant census revealed that savanna elephant numbers were declining at a rate of 8 percentor 27,000 elephants a year.
Survival analysis estimates of average life expectancy for asian elephants are 47. Larger, long lived, slow breeding animals, like the elephant, are more susceptible to overhunting than other animals. They cannot hide, and it takes many years for an elephant to grow and reproduce. Strange creatures called the wylder, roamed the ruins of civilization. Stress and lack of exercise are killing elephants, zoos warned. The study compared the life spans of african and asian elephants living in european zoos between 1960 and 2005, with the life spans of. Since the cows have a life expectancy of 40 years, it shortens their time for reproduction by more than 20 years, compared to wild individuals. Of five asian elephants born in the 12 months preceding june 2003, three are already dead. What is the lifespan of an african elephant in captivity. This book is a response to the need for better information on the african elephant. For example, in 1998, 11 african elephants were born in zoos.