Use of Urinary Cortisol Analysis to Assess Adrenal Function in Asian and African Elephants

This pilot project developed baseline data to address elephant well-being by studying urinary cortisol to non-invasively monitor adrenal status in elephants. Combined with assessment of behavioral traits, this analysis will help our understanding of how environmental or management changes may affect the well-being of elephants in captivity and could be used to study human impact on wild populations as well.

IEF #1002

Project Years: 2002

Project Partners:
Smithsonian Institution,  Fort Worth Zoo