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      • Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators (AALSO) >
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      • International Aquarium Congress (IAC) >
        • IAC 2016 >
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      • International Seadragon Husbandry Symposium (ISHS) >
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      • National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) >
        • NWRA 2018 >
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        • NWRA 2019 >
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        • NWRA 2020 >
          • NWRA 2020 Plenary Session Abstracts
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        • NWRA 2021 >
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      • Sea Otter Conservation Workshop >
        • Sea Otter Conservation Workshop 2019 Abstracts >
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    • The Animal Behavior Management Alliance (ABMA) >
      • ABMA 2011 >
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      • ABMA 2015 >
        • ABMA 2015 Keynote >
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      • ABMA 2016 >
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      • ABMA 2017 >
        • ABMA 2017 Keynote >
          • ABMA 2017 Keynote Megan Parker
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          • ABMA 2017 Enrichment Workshop
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      • ABMA 2018 >
        • ABMA 2018 Keynotes >
          • ABMA 2018 Keynotes Gary Wilson and Thad Lacinak
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      • ABMA 2019 >
        • ABMA 2019 Keynote >
          • ABMA 2019 Keynote Kate Webb
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          • ABMA 2019 Panel Discussion - Hot Topics
      • ABMA 2021 >
        • ABMA 2021 Thursday
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      • ABMA 2022 >
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      • IMATA ABMA 2023 >
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    • International Conference on Environmental Enrichment (ICEE) >
      • ICEE 2011 >
        • ICEE 2011 Keynote >
          • ICEE 2011 Keynote Dr. Joy Mench
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          • ICEE 2011 Invited Workshop Dr. Cheryl Meehan
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        • ICEE 2011 Symposia >
          • ICEE 2011 Symposia Personality and Behavioral Husbandry
          • ICEE 2011 Symposia Building enriched environments through design collaboration
    • Regional Aquatics Workshop (RAW) >
      • RAW 2012 >
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          • RAW 2012 Training
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      • RAW 2013 >
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          • RAW 2013 Conservation
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      • RAW 2014 >
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      • RAW 2016 >
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      • RAW 2017 >
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      • RAW 2018 >
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      • RAW 2019 >
        • RAW 2019 Presentations >
          • RAW 2019 Opening Presentations
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          • RAW 2019 Advances in Invertebrate Husbandry
          • RAW 2019 Advances in Marine Fish Husbandry
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          • RAW 2019 Animal Welfare
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        • RAW 2019 Discussions >
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          • RAW 2019 Taxon Advisory Groups (TAG)
      • RAW 2022 >
        • RAW 2022 Health Management
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        • RAW 2022 Sustainable Collections
    • International Elasmobranch Husbandry Symposium (IEHS) >
      • IEHS 2013 >
        • IEHS 2013 Sustainability
        • IEHS 2013 Health
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        • IEHS 2013 Husbandry II
    • Aquality >
      • Aquality II 2014 >
        • Aquality II 2014 Presentations >
          • Aquality II 2014 Supply and Pre-Treatment
          • Aquality II 2014 Chemical and Ultraviolet
          • Aquality II 2014 Ozone and Fractionation
          • Aquality II 2014 Mechanical Filtration
          • Aquality II 2014 Biological Filtration
          • Aquality II 2014 Marine Mammals and Friends
          • Aquality II 2014 Nutrient Control
          • Aquality II 2014 Denitrification
          • Aquality II 2014 Corals and Jellies LSS
          • Aquality II 2014 Microbiology in LSS
          • Aquality II 2014 Quantification
          • Aquality II 2014 Troubleshooting
    • Aquatic Animal Life Support Operators (AALSO) >
      • AALSO 2015 >
        • AALSO 2015 Host Facility Spotlights
        • AALSO 2015 Short Facility Updates
        • AALSO 2015 Water Quality & Chemistry
        • AALSO 2015 Sponsored Facility Updates
        • AALSO 2015 Symposium Theme
        • AALSO 2015 Dirty Laundry
      • AALSO 2016 >
        • AALSO 2016 Dirty Laundry
        • AALSO 2016 Water Quality/Chemistry
        • AALSO 2016 Symposium Theme - Species Specific
        • AALSO 2016 Dive Operations & Green Initiatives
      • AALSO 2017 >
        • AALSO 2017 Monday
        • AALSO 2017 Tuesday
        • AALSO 2017 Wednesday
      • AALSO 2018 >
        • AALSO 2018 Papers Monday
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      • AALSO 2019 >
        • AALSO 2019 Dirty Laundry
        • AALSO 2019 Water Quality & Chemistry
        • AALSO 2019 Program Management Series
        • AALSO 2019 New Innovations Series
        • AALSO 2019 Making It Work Series
      • AALSO 2021 >
        • AALSO 2021 New Innovations Series
        • AALSO 2021 Water Quality & Chemistry
        • AALSO 2021 Dirty Laundry
        • AALSO 2021 Program Management Series
        • AALSO 2021 Greening Up LSS
      • AALSO 2022 >
        • AALSO 2022 New Innovations Series
        • AALSO 2022 Making It Work
        • AALSO 2022 Water Quality & Chemistry
        • AALSO 2022 Program Management Series
    • International Aquarium Congress (IAC) >
      • IAC 2016 >
        • IAC 2016 Keynotes
        • IAC 2016 Fish Husbandry
        • IAC 2016 TAXA Champions
        • IAC 2016 Elasmonbranch Conservation
        • IAC 2016 Mammal and Turtle Conservation
        • IAC 2016 Aquatic Diseases
        • IAC 2016 Coral Conservation
        • IAC 2016 Life Support Operations
        • IAC 2016 Field Conservation
        • IAC 2016 Fish Conservation and Propagation
        • IAC 2016 New Aquariums and Exhibits
        • IAC 2016 Sustainable Seafood Movement
        • IAC 2016 Conservation Education
        • IAC 2016 Traveling and Temporary Exhibits
        • IAC 2016 Business Operations
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        • IAC 2016 Public Outreach
        • IAC 2016 Conservation Outreach
    • International Seadragon Husbandry Symposium (ISHS) >
      • ISHS 2016 >
        • ISHS 2016 Tuesday
        • ISHS 2016 Wednesday
      • ISHS 2018 >
        • ISHS 2018 Tuesday Presentations
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    • National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) >
      • NWRA Education Tracks >
        • Avian Basics Track
        • Basics of Wildlife Rehabilitation 1 Track
        • Mammal Basics Track
      • NWRA 2018 >
        • NWRA 2018 Keynote
        • NWRA 2018 Workshop Lecture
        • NWRA 2018 Administration
        • NWRA 2018 Urban Wildlife Conflict
        • NWRA 2018 Education
        • NWRA 2018 Assorted Topics
        • NWRA 2018 Release & Survival
      • NWRA 2019 >
        • NWRA 2019 Keynote
        • NWRA 2019 Setting Limits
        • NWRA 2019 Animal Welfare Plenary
        • NWRA 2019 Working Together
        • NWRA 2019 Avian Veterinary Topics
        • NWRA 2019 Workshop Lectures
        • NWRA 2019 Volunteers
        • NWRA 2019 Reptiles
        • NWRA 2019 Disease
        • NWRA 2019 Reuniting
        • NWRA 2019 Post-release
        • NWRA 2019 Avian
        • NWRA 2019 Education
        • NWRA 2019 Training Ambassadors
        • NWRA 2019 Mammals I
        • NWRA 2019 Diets & Nutrition
        • NWRA 2019 Avian Radiographs 101
      • NWRA 2020 >
        • NWRA 2020 Plenary Session
        • NWRA 2020 Avain 1
        • NWRA 2020 Mammals 1
        • NWRA 2020 Data
        • NWRA 2020 Rehabilitators and Zoos Roundtable
        • NWRA 2020 Herptiles
        • NWRA 2020 General
        • NWRA 2020 Veterinary
        • NWRA 2020 Waterbird
        • NWRA 2020 Medications
        • NWRA 2020 Oiled Wildlife & Disaster Response I
        • NWRA 2020 Toxicity
        • NWRA 2020 Education & Outreach
      • NWRA 2021 >
        • NWRA 2021 Avian
        • NWRA 2021 Herptiles
        • NWRA 2021 Mammals
        • NWRA 2021 Biosecurity
        • NWRA 2021 General Rehabilitation
        • NWRA 2021 Outreach
        • NWRA 2021 Wildlife Medicine
        • NWRA 2021 Veterinary
        • NWRA 2021 Standards Panel
      • NWRA 2022 >
        • NWRA 2022 Avian Care & Husbandry
        • NWRA 2022 Mammal Care & Husbandry
        • NWRA 2022 Parasite & Pathogens
        • NWRA 2022 General Rehabilitation Concepts
        • NWRA 2022 Compassion Fatigue
        • NWRA 2022 Avian Medicine
        • NWRA 2022 Mammal Medicine
        • NWRA 2022 Wildlife Medicine
        • NWRA 2022 Pharmacology
        • NWRA 2022 Triage & Trauma
        • NWRA 2022 Everyday Rehabilitation
        • NWRA 2022 Loons
      • NWRA 2023 >
        • NWRA 2023 Plenary
        • NWRA 2023 Administration, Fundraising, & Collaboration
        • NWRA 2023 Avian Medicine
        • NWRA 2023 Avian Rehabilitation
        • NWRA 2023 Diagnostics
        • NWRA 2023 Education Ambassadors
        • NWRA 2023 First Response
        • NWRA 2023 Herptile Care
        • NWRA 2023 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
        • NWRA 2023 Home-based & Micro-center Rehabilitation
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Next G.E.M 2018

Developing a Successful Positive Reinforcement Training Elephant Program


​Understanding Positive Reinforcement
and its Application


Thad Lacinak, 
Precision Behavior
Full Abstract
No Abstract
Conditioning Voluntary Behaviors with African Elephants as Part of a
​Behavioral Management Program


Sue Young,
ZooTampa at Lowry Park 
Full Abstract
No Abstract
Success in Making a Complex Behavior Reinforcing, Using a Strong
Trusting Relationship


Paige Shallcross & Cathy Mingee,
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 
Full Abstract
Utilizing positive reinforcement and choice based training, we have been successful in making complex behaviors such as a blood draw, reinforcing. In a choice based training program, a strong trust based relationship must be present between the trainers and animals that will be involved in the procedure. Our habitat contains a built in interaction/husbandry area which allows us to work up-close with the elephants while they have access to conspecifics, food, and other stimuli. While we can perform blood draws in our behind the scenes static chute, we prefer to ask for these behaviors on the habitat to increase the elephants time on a soft substrate, allow the herd to remain together, and also create transparency for our guests. The blood draw behavior starts by asking the elephant to line their body up flush against the wall, presenting their ear through a window and maintaining that position until the blood draw is complete. This behavior also allows us to give tactile reinforcement to the elephants in a variety of locations such as the tongue, ear, face and across their body. By pairing the blood draw, and other husbandry behaviors, with the up-close tactile reinforcement, along with the other non-husbandry sessions completed at the husbandry wall, we have been successful in creating such as strong reinforcement history in the area that leaving to allow the next elephant to come over for their husbandry is what we consider to be our biggest challenge. 

Training Behavior Chains as a Learning Opportunity, a Way to Build and Strengthen Relationships, and to Create a Reinforcement History in Various Locations Around an Elephant Habitat
​
Dana Boyles, 
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 
Full Abstract
The interaction area, located on the elephant habitat at Busch Gardens, has a strong reinforcement history, as it is the main location where we complete our husbandry procedures and is a place where we can be very hands on with our elephants to provide tactile reinforcement. The strong reinforcement history of the interaction area makes it challenging to ask the elephants to leave and go to another part of the habitat for other training sessions. The goal of training behavior chains was to provide a learning opportunity of a complex behavior that would allow other areas of the habitat to become more reinforcing while providing an engaging type of session to keep the rest of the herd mentally stimulated while husbandry procedures were going on with other individuals. Complex behaviors, like behavior chains, are a way to add to an individual's repertoire of trained behaviors while providing another way to strengthen the animal and trainers relationship without doing husbandry and with the focus of the reinforcement not necessarily always being food and being the next discriminative stimulus provided by the trainer. 


​

Implementing Choice and Control in Elephant Behavior Management


Choice and Control



​Mindy Albright, 
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Full Abstract
Implementing choice and control during medical treatments has proven very beneficial. It appears that the elephants have a higher tolerance for medical treatment and potentially aversive scenarios when they have the ability to end the session whenever they would like to. We have had a few long-term medical treatments where choice and control proved not only to be beneficial for the elephants but it helped the trainers be more thorough in their care of the medical case. A few cases stand out…
 Kami, an 8-year-old female, had two nine-inch deep wounds on the side of her head. Her wounds were flushed BID. It was very clear that she was much more successful and willing to participate when given the opportunity to leave the session.
 Qinisa, a 3-year-old female had a small pimple like mark on her side that the veterinarians wanted to perform a punch biopsy and culture. We decided that the procedure would be done without any sedation or physical restraint. She held for the entire procedure and had the ability to leave us at any moment, but she did not.
 Tusk removals for two elephants required daily sulcus flushes of the voided pockets, which were about 6-8 inches deep. These sessions were long in nature and utilized choice and control.
 The majority of our major medical care is in a location where the elephant is free to leave the session. We do get more participation and compliance with choice and control then we do with restraint. 

Voluntary Semen Collections on a
​Bull African Elephant in a
Protected Contact System


Christi Reiter, 
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Full Abstract
The captive elephant population in North America is not currently sustainable.  The lack of breeding bulls and the absence of successful semen collections are key contributors to the state of the current population.  Importation of wild elephants, involuntary electroejaculation, the use of restraints and traditional manual stimulation techniques are not ideal due to posed health risks, financial constraints, sample quality and undue stress on the animal from lack of choice.  Semen collection on a variety of species including dolphins, primates, rhinos and elephants has been prevalent in zoos and aquariums for many years.  As zoos and management techniques evolve and improve, so does that of training techniques, research and conservation efforts.  The San Diego Zoo Safari Park is home to a herd of twelve African elephants ranging from five years to approximately twenty-nine years of age.  Of these twelve elephants, six are males with five of those males under the age of ten.  The subject for this particular project, Lutsandvo, began training for semen collection when he was six years old, first sample containing semen was shortly after he turned seven and the first successful freezable sample was achieved just before the age of eight. The end goal for the collection technique with this elephant was/is to get a successful semen sample unrestrained with no manual stimulation thereby reducing the invasive nature of the semen collection process and possibly providing a higher quality sample.
Utilizing a "turn-around" Behavior, in a Choice Based Training Program for Administration of Rectal Antibiotics
​
Jordan Hayes & Cathy Mingee,
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay 
Full Abstract
As a team, we believe husbandry behaviors are some of the most important things we can train. These behaviors can allow us to shape new behaviors, access the elephants in a close proximity, be repurposed, and allow us to message how we care for our elephants to our guests. One example of a husbandry behavior we’ve been able to use for a variety of purposes is a turn-around behavior where the elephant turns away from us, giving the option of presenting rear feet or their tail. When the veterinary team determined one of our elephants needed antibiotics we knew oral medication was not an option, but we could use the turn behavior for the administration rectally. The turn behavior can be done in any location in our indoor facility or at our husbandry wall on the habitat, which means we don’t have to socially isolate the elephant and we can keep the time of day variable. In addition, by not relying on our husbandry chute, we can create even more choice and control for the elephant involved in the training session because they have access to more space and resources. 

Elephant Cognition Research

The Benefits and Challenges of Cognitive Research with Elephants

Lauren Highfill, Ph.D., 
Eckerd College
Full Abstract
Elephants possess sophisticated cognitive skills that allow them to make sense of both their
physical and social worlds. Therefore, elephants living in a zoo environment may benefit from
cognitive challenges designed to assess and address their capabilities. To assist handlers in
implementing meaningful cognitive tasks for their animals, we encourage the zoo community to
forge relationships with local scientists and students to expand and increase their efforts to
enhance the cognitive wellness of species such as elephants. Providing animals the opportunity
to solve challenging tasks creates a dynamic environment, promotes choice-based activity, and
stimulates mental and physical exercise. We will describe cognitive experiments recently
conducted with the elephants at Zoo Tampa, as an example of the enriching potential of
cognitive research. 


​

Public Perceptions of Elephants in Zoos, Sanctuaries and "the Wild"

Elephant Conservation: Reviewing the Need and Potential Impact of Cognition-based Education

Radhika N. Makecha, Ph. D.,
Eastern Kentucky University
Full Abstract
Given the importance of public perceptions of both wild and captive elephants, increasing attention is being devoted to conservation education programs. However, little attention has been paid to the role that knowledge on animal cognition (animal minds) plays in public perceptions of wildlife, including elephants, a species which suffers severe conservation challenges. Public fascination of animal cognition is widespread, ranging from documentaries on ape minds and elephant family structures to popular news and magazine articles on animal minds, including some of the “superstars” of the animal cognition world, such as Alex, the African gray parrot and Koko, the gorilla. Part of this fascination stems from the connection we feel with non-human animals once we learn that many of them have similar abilities to our own. We discuss the evidence that does exist on the effectiveness of animal cognition-based education programs, and emphasize the need for cognition-based elephant conservation education programs in both wild and captive settings. Additionally, we address the need to evaluate the effects these programs have on conservation attitudes and public perceptions towards elephants. Finally, we discuss our upcoming project (June, 2018) on assessing the effects of a cognition based education program on the attitudes of villagers towards Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in conflict-prone areas in and around Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) in Karnataka, India. 

​

​Public and Generational
Perception of Zoos


Kristy Chase-Tozer,
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
 
Full Abstract
No Abstract
Public Perception of Elephant Sanctuaries: Space, Naturalness, and Values


​Catherine Doyle, M.S.,
Performing Animal Welfare Society 
Full Abstract
Many scholars consider us to be living in an era dubbed the Anthropocene, in which human activities are causing global environmental changes, habitat loss, and a sixth mass extinction. At the same time, there is increased concern for the welfare of wild and domesticated animals (George et al. 2014). Research and anecdotal evidence suggest that public attitudes in America are moving toward a more compassionate and caring view of wild animals, and away from mastery or domination (Manfredo et al. 2009). In line with this trend, sanctuaries have increasingly come to be seen by the public as the ideal for captive wild animals, as compared to more familiar forms of captivity. This is especially evident in the case of elephants. Sanctuaries have become almost revered for their perceived powers of rehabilitation and virtual rebirth (an elephant gets to be an elephant again), but are also subject to certain public expectations that may conflict with the realities of sanctuary life (Doyle 2017). Public concern about captive wildlife may be causing more people to gravitate toward elephant sanctuaries, based on the perception that greater space and naturalness are preferable for welfare. Just as important, sanctuaries may be perceived as being more in agreement with evolving public values and attitudes toward captive wildlife and their care. These changing public views have implications for zoos and other captive operations in the future.

Strategies and Techniques for Improved Social Management of Elephants

African Elephant Bull Introduction Strategies Utilized at the Reid Park Zoo

Cassandra Dodds & Curtis Lehman,
Reid Park Zoo
​San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Full Abstract
Reid Park Zoo (RPZ) managed 1.2 adult African elephants and 2.1 juvenile offspring when the herd’s adult bull (Mahbulane) was returned to the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park. Subsequently, the oldest male calf (Impunga), then age nine, went into musth and displaced his mother as the dominant elephant in the herd. For over a year, Impunga was the most dominant individual, went through multiple periods of musth, and demonstrated breeding interest towards his mother. Mahbulane returned to RPZ a year and a half later.  San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park and RPZ elephant teams together considered introduction strategies. The herd’s matriarch was entering pre-estrus and Impunga was entering musth. The bulls were howdied along a fence line where both postured and engaged forcefully until Impunga submitted.  Once calm, the entire herd was given access to the habitat together for approximately 45 minutes. Within 24 hours of this introduction, Impunga ceased exhibiting symptoms of musth, showed submissive behavior to Mahbulane, and behaved more cautiously and timidly than normal. Mahbulane went into heavy musth, showing stronger than his normal musth symptoms and ceased to engage Impunga as a rival. Following this initial success, the herd was moved through various differing social groupings for the days that followed. Managing these two bulls is a continuing process of assessment and vigilance.  Working together as a team, the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park and RPZ achieved this first successful step.
​

Re-introduction of African Elephants



​Lucas Barmeyer,
Oakland Zoo
Full Abstract
We are a protected contact facility with a 1.3 African Elephant population. In the past, all of our elephants shared space in our nearly 7-acre exhibit. Due to safety precautions our male had to be separated from our females at all times. Through co-operative feeding and proximity training we were able to reestablish a relationship between our male and one of our females to the point where we felt comfortable reintroducing them into the same space. We started off the reintroductions in one of our lower yards out of the public eye and we had our male on a leg restraint and slowly giving him slack so that he could approach the female. The leg restraint was a precaution so in the case that the reintroduction went poorly we could stop him from moving closer to the female and potentially harming her. The initial introduction was extremely successful with positive reactions coming from both the male and female. After several introductions with our male having a leg restraint, we took the tether off so that he could have free range of the enclosure and unrestrained access to the female. Our introductions in the lower yard were so successful that we gave them access to the exhibit and do introductions there. They currently share space on exhibit once a week for about 4 hours but we are slowly increasing the duration of time spent together and hope to reintroduce one of our other females this coming summer. 

Social Integration of a Male Elephant:
The Process and What it Means
​for Future Generations


Michael Burns,
ZooTampa at Lowry Park
Full Abstract
No Abstract
Return to Natural Breeding


Steve LaFave,
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Full Abstract
No Abstract

Progress and Evolution: Transitioning an Elephant Program

The Evolution of Zoo Atlanta’s
Elephant Program



Nate Elgart, 
Zoo Atlanta
Full Abstract
Zoo Atlanta has a long history of housing and managing elephants and has cared for African elephants since 1986. As the elephants grew and program evolved, managing them in their current facility has challenges. Despite these challenges, our elephants have thrived in protected contact and the elephant- care team has built a balanced husbandry and training program, including participation in research projects that enhance animal care. However, a two-stall linear barn design, the inability to bring in more elephants, and limited habitat space, increased the need for a new facility to meet the needs of our elephant program. With a gift of over 3 additional acres of adjacent parkland from the city, the Zoo embarked on a new African savanna exhibit featuring a new elephant exhibit: a Grand New View. The project highlights Zoo Atlanta’s commitment to elephants, the Species Survival Plan for the species, and the conservation of elephants in the wild. At year’s end, our two elephants will be moving in to their new 12,500 square-foot barn and multi-acre habitat. For the first time in decades, we will have the space and facilities to expand our herd, utilizing two adjoining habitats designed for bulls, cows, and young (up to 7 elephants). This new facility provides new opportunities for our elephants to thrive and opportunities to manage an integrated, social herd in a successful, ever-evolving, progressive program. 


​Transitioning Zoo Miami’s Elephant Program


Matt James,
Zoo Miami 
Full Abstract
No Abstract

Elephant Transportation

Stephen Fritz Enterprises
​Elephant Transportation



Stephen Fritz,
Stephen Fritz Enterprises, Inc.
Full Abstract
No Abstract