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Asian Elephant/African Elephant behavior
- Thread starter aw101
- Start date
Yes, I`ve seen a number of captive-born elephants swaying. When they are chained away from their mothers as calves (and that has happened in the past in most zoos and it still happens to all Ringling-born calves), they are bound to develop the same neurotical behavoir like wild-born elephants.
Yassa your a zoo hater, I wasn't really directing that piece of information at you. There is no reasoning with people who think elephants don't belong in captivity. The person who told me this worked with elephants before, therefore a reliable source. I think people like you who are activists are unreliable and make up crap
Yes, they make it seem like all stereotypic behaviours mean that the animal is insane and the zoo is cruel. Also one thing I read by Born free is that when the Bobby gorilla died in London, they said that "it wasn't an illness that killed Bobby, it was his captive environment". How nice and caring of them!
Black rhino, I don`t know why you assume I am a zoo hater - I love visiting zoos and watching animals, and especially elephants. I am NOT against keeping elephants in zoos! I think zoos can give elephants a decent life, when they get a lot of space, and bonds between individuals are respected and families kept together. Not all zoos do that, and a lot of zoo elephants live in unacceptable conditions, both in the US and in Europe.
I am REALLY interested to know where wild elephants have been observed swaying, do I get it right that your source has not seen that himself? I am eager to learn as much about elephants as possible, and that does seem to be a critical piece of information. So if anyone finds something, let me know. As long as someone who has never seen wild elephants and is unable to quote scientists is the only source, I admit that I don`t believe it.
Ashley, I do NOT believe that an elephnat swaying means the zoo is cruel or the elephant living in bad conditions. It`s a lot more difficult then that. My understanding is that swaying indicates that the elephants has IN THE PAST suffered from trauma and restricted movements through chaining (most likely for prolonged periods). It does not mean the elephant is mistreated or in a bad place right NOW. However, swaying does indicate that the ele is bored, and everything possible must be done to provide as much as stimulation as possible (hiding food, providing toys as short term measures; in long-term, building larger indoor and outdoor enclosures and keeping large family groups instead of small herds of just 2 or 3 females is required).
I am REALLY interested to know where wild elephants have been observed swaying, do I get it right that your source has not seen that himself? I am eager to learn as much about elephants as possible, and that does seem to be a critical piece of information. So if anyone finds something, let me know. As long as someone who has never seen wild elephants and is unable to quote scientists is the only source, I admit that I don`t believe it.
Ashley, I do NOT believe that an elephnat swaying means the zoo is cruel or the elephant living in bad conditions. It`s a lot more difficult then that. My understanding is that swaying indicates that the elephants has IN THE PAST suffered from trauma and restricted movements through chaining (most likely for prolonged periods). It does not mean the elephant is mistreated or in a bad place right NOW. However, swaying does indicate that the ele is bored, and everything possible must be done to provide as much as stimulation as possible (hiding food, providing toys as short term measures; in long-term, building larger indoor and outdoor enclosures and keeping large family groups instead of small herds of just 2 or 3 females is required).
I do NOT believe that an elephnat swaying means the zoo is cruel or the elephant living in bad conditions. It`s a lot more difficult then that. My understanding is that swaying indicates that the elephants has IN THE PAST suffered from trauma and restricted movements through chaining (most likely for prolonged periods). It does not mean the elephant is mistreated or in a bad place right NOW. However, swaying does indicate that the ele is bored, and everything possible must be done to provide as much as stimulation as possible (hiding food, providing toys as short term measures; in long-term, building larger indoor and outdoor enclosures and keeping large family groups instead of small herds of just 2 or 3 females is required).
I agree 100% with this paragraph
Ashley, I do NOT believe that an elephnat swaying means the zoo is cruel or the elephant living in bad conditions. It`s a lot more difficult then that. My understanding is that swaying indicates that the elephants has IN THE PAST suffered from trauma and restricted movements through chaining (most likely for prolonged periods). It does not mean the elephant is mistreated or in a bad place right NOW. However, swaying does indicate that the ele is bored, and everything possible must be done to provide as much as stimulation as possible (hiding food, providing toys as short term measures; in long-term, building larger indoor and outdoor enclosures and keeping large family groups instead of small herds of just 2 or 3 females is required).
Swaying does not necessarily mean the elephant is bored. More often it does not. It usually means the elephant is anticipating something and I have observed first hand an elephant doing this.
The keepers at Cleveland Zoo often do painting with the elephants as an enrichment activity. Elephants, having a strong sense of smell, know the days they will be doing painting because they can smell the paints as I was told by a volunteer who works alongside the keepers. I came to the elephants about a half hour before the painting begun and Jo, one of the elephants was swaying by the door. She was doing this because she was anticipating the painting not because she was bored in her enclosure.
Please someone tell me how they know elephants only sway when they are bored!
Yassa your a zoo hater, I wasn't really directing that piece of information at you. There is no reasoning with people who think elephants don't belong in captivity. I think people like you who are activists are unreliable and make up crap
If you read some of Yassa's detailed posts you will realise just how far from the truth that statement is.
Jo, one of the elephants was swaying by the door. She was doing this because she was anticipating the painting not because she was bored in her enclosure.
But the swaying itself was a sign of frustration/impatience at not being able to perform the action.
But the swaying itself was a sign of frustration/impatience at not being able to perform the action.
Clearly I won't win this argument with Yassa and you against me. I still utterly disagree with your statement.