Using Hormone Field Kits to Improve Our Understanding of Ovarian Activity in Free-Living Elephants (Loxodonta africana), North America, South Africa, Tanzania

Although it is assumed that free-ranging elephants are always pregnant, lactating or cycling, hormone characterizations of estrous cycle dynamics have only been conducted on captive elephants. It is not known whether acyclicity occurs in the wild because it has never been scientifically investigated. These hormone kits transformed how the biology of elephants under field conditions is studied and as such provided new tools for understanding elephant reproduction and behavior. These kits were used to investigate how age, social rank and precipitation affect the estrous cycle dynamics of individually identifiable elephants. Hormone field kits also provided scientific proof of ovarian activity wild elephants.

IEF #EX1009

Project Years: 2007

Project Partners:
Smithsonian Institute