Elephants Elephants - Wildpro - Twycross Zoo

Training captive born elephants
When a calf is born a collection decides on the main trainer. The first part of
training is accustomising the young animal to recognise its name and receive a
reward by responding to the trainer calling its name. A full account of calf
training is presented in Section 6.1.1. Calves MUST be trained using kindness
and patience and it should be an enjoyable experience for both elephant and
trainer.
SUMMARY
There has been, and will continue to be, considerable debate over elephant
management systems. Some maintain that proper care of skin and feet of
elephants can take place only in a free contact situation, and also cite the fact
that small surgical operations can take place with only local anaesthesia and
medical interventions are, in general, easier [Schmid. Jeannette 1998 #180].
Questions are also asked about possible stress to animals in ERDs. Some
experienced free contact elephant handlers are vehement in their criticism of
protected contact [Roocrodt & Zoll 1994 #1820]. They also claim that animal
welfare is compromised in protected contact management systems. In
general, by nature, elephant keepers prefer free contact systems (Priest 1992)
and maintain that they allow the elephants to live more enriched lives
(Peterson 1994). This debate will continue, but whatever the system adopted
by an institution, it is clear that staff training and a clear written protocol are
mandatory.
A minimum of two qualified elephant keepers MUST be present during any
contact with elephants. A qualified keeper is a person the institution
acknowledges as a trained, responsible individual, capable of and specifically
experienced in the training and care of elephants, (see next Section 3.9 Staff
Training).
3.9 Standard Operating Procedure: Staff Training
BACKGROUND
Staff training and the use of set procedures is of importance when working
with any exotic species, for the welfare of both staff and animals. It is
particularly important for elephant staff for two main reasons:
• More keeper deaths and injuries are caused by elephants than any other
area in zoos (Roocroft and Zoll 1994) (Mellen and Ellis 1996) (Lehnhardt
1991). This is due to a variety of causes but particularly: the keeping of
bull elephants, which can show particularly aggressive behaviour;
inadequate facilities; individual elephants of unreliable temperament;
trauma invoked in an individual elephant as a result of an unexpected
event; inexperienced handlers and momentary lapses in judgment
amongst usually competent personnel; inadequate staff training.
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