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lnternational Seminar on Promoting Local Resources for Food and Health, 12-13 October, 2015, Bengikulu, lndonesia

Daily Behavior of Sumatran Elephants ( Elephas mu-yit tus sunratranus ) At
the Elephant Training Center in Region of Seblat Nature Park in North
Bengkulu Regency
Octomi Dafi Syaputral, Rizwar2 and Darmi2
r)Student
of S-1 Biology-FMIPA, Bengkulu University
2)Faculty
members of S-1 Biology-FMIPA, Bengkulu University

e-Mail: rizwar. sikumbang@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The development of Sumatran wild elephants to be tame elephants will slowly change their daily behavior of both
social and individual. Changes in social behavior include hovr to live in groups and reproduce. Whrle changes in
individual behavior can be seen from time budget of browsing, feeding and drinking, flicking, licking for the

source of the mineral salts and the resting activities. Changes from wild behavior to tame behavior are very

important in the context of elephant self adjustment and survive in the face of different environmental conditions
in Seblat Elephant Training Centre, This study was conducted in the Elephant Training Center in the region of
Seblat Natural Park, North Bengkulu Regency. The study aims to examine the daily behavior of tame elephants
that have formed as a result of coaching, especially in time budget fbr browsing, f'eeding, drinking, licking
mineral salts, resting, playrng, flushing nater or soil onto their bodies and flicking fbod onto their bodies. Data
collection of daily behavior was conducted against l5 individuals of elephants by using scan sampling method
fiom 08:00 to I5:00 o'clock during 24 days. The behavior of each individual of tame elephants was observed
druing a 3 O-minute interval and the time interval of observation was for 5 minutes with a total of observation time
vgas 7 hours. The results showed that the trained elephants annihilate more time to browse in searching of food
(27 ,96yt), feeding activity (26.35%), tluovi,ing food onto the body (12.04%), flushing water or soil onto the body
(10,29%), drinking (9.27%), resting (8.25%), playing (3.21%) and licking mineral salts (2.63%). Based on the
differences in gender and age, the daily behavior of female elephants was more active than males and adolesoent.
On the other side, the daily behavior of male elephants was more autive to lick mineral salts tban females antVor
adolescent.

Keyrvords: Sumatran elephants, daily behavior and sampling scan method

INTRODUCTION
The region of Seblat Natural Park (SNP) is one of the remaining natural forests as a habitat of
wild elephants. Beside as a wild elephant conservation area (in situ), it is also as the location of the

Ti'aining Centre tbr wild Elephants to be tame elephants. SNP region was fbunded upon proposal of
Forestry Department of Bengkulu Province and the recommendation letter of the Governor of
Bengkulu with No. 522177541811992. Later , the Minister of Forestry issued Decree No. 643/Kpts -

IV20l1, which establishes the Nahu'e Park with an area of * 7737 hectares as protected areas (BKSDA,
20r3).
Nowadays, Seblat SNP forests are experiencing the isolation from the area of core forests.
namely the Kerinci National Park since the opening of forest stands around SNP for lalge oil palm
plantations such as Alno Agro Utama Ltd (Northern and Western of SNP) and Agricinal Ltd (Eastern
of SNP) as well as agricultural areas for migrants and the local communities (Southern of S}'IP).
Densify estimation of wild elephant population in SNP tbrest at 2001 was approximately 50 individuals
( Rizwar et a1.,200I). The other side, condition of the SNP tbrest interior is growly concerned due to
degradation and fragmentation. The main causes of those are illegal logging and land fires (Hedges et
aI.,2005; Sopartono, 2007: Uryu et a|.,2008). Deforestation will affect on the limited availability of
tbod plants so that elephants are often out of the SNP tbrest to tlnd alternative tbods that are in
plantation areas, agricultural and farmtng community lands. If stressed. elephants often attack local
communities which sometimes cause death in humans (Leimgruber et a1.,20031 Sitomptl et a1.,2013).
Catching wild elephants confounding by rangers is an attempt to reduce the conflict between
elephants and humans around the area of SNP forest, Capfured wild elephants will be trained and

480 | Proceedlng ISEPROLOCAL.

ISBN: 9786029071184

lnternational Seminar on Promoting Local Resources for Food and Health, 12-13 October, 2015, Bengkulu, lndonesia

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Figure L Histograrn af time budget percentage of the daily behavior of Sumatrau elephants in
ETC of Seblat Natural Park, Narth Bengkulu Regency.
When compared with the behavior of wild elephants in natural forest habitat, the daily behavior
of domesticated elephants in Seblat ETC and in captivities of Bali Safari and Marine Park Gianyar
were also not much different. Abdullah (2009) found that the daily behavior of wild elephants in the
secondary forests of Ulu Masen, NAD also was dominated by feeding behavior (49,05%) and
browsing/walking (21,21%). Similarly, the findings of Sitompul et al. (2013) on wild elephants in the
SNP forest Seblat. The allocation of time budget for eating behaviors may relate to body size of
elephants. These animals have a large body weight enough that is 3-4 tons and their digestive system is
less perfect to crush food so they need plenty of fresh plant biomass for energy. Under natural
conditions, elephants perfbrm daily activities are about 16-18 hours and most of their activities (7090%) is allocated for feeding and browsing. Browsing is an important for elephant to get adequate food
(World Wildlife Fund, 2005). An elephant needs for fresh forage biomass quite varies ie.200-300 kg
per day, or about 5-10 % of their body weight. In the area of Padang Sugihan Sanctuary in South
Sumatra, elephants were estimated to require 130-150 kg wet weight of food plants every day
(Soeriaatmaja & Harjasasmita, 1982) while in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam about 300 kg and 396 kg in
Riau (Abdullah,2009) .
Based on sex and age group, the time budget fbr the daily behavior of the adult f'emale elephants
was almost doubled when compared with the elephant adult males and adolescent f'emale (Table 1).
This indicated that the behavior of the adult f'emale elephants in Seblat ETC was much more active in
feeding (i6,57 7o), browsing (17,23 %), flicking fbod onto body (7,52Yo), flushing water onto the body

(6,53 Yo), drinking (5,62 yo), resting (4,74 yo) and playing (1.97%) compared to male elephant adult
and juvenile t-emales. Adult males much more allocated time budget for drinking minerai salts than
adult t'emales and juvenile.

Table 1. Time budget percentage of daily behavior of tame elephants in Seblat ETC based on gender
and age
No.

'I'1'pe

ti lleh;*'icl

Time Budget of Daily Behavior (%)

Adult Females

Adult Males

Adolescent Female

8.3 7

|,39

t].23

8.69

2,04

1.52

.t.16

0.3 6

6.53

J.+J

0,51

5.62

2.92

0.73

4.14

2.70

0.80

1

!-eeding

1

2

Brou'sing

3

Flicking fbod

4

Flushing water soil

5

Drinking

6

Resting

6.57

1

Playing

1.91

r.24

0,00

8

Licking mineral salts

0.95

1.68

0.00

482 | Proceedlng ISEPROLOCAL.

ISBN: 9786029071184

lnternational Seminar on Promoting Local Resources for Food and Health, 12-13 October,2015, Bengkulu, lndonesia

nurtured in order to be tame and useful for people for instance as repellent agents against wild
elephants entering the public lands. Trained elephants are also useful fbr timber transport animals,
public entertainment, the object of research, consen'ation education, fbrest patrol and transport fbr
local community to cross the river (Santiapillai and Jackson 1990; Lair, 1997; BKSDA! 2013).
Development of wild elephants to be tame elephants u.ill change their daily behavior. Changes in
behar.ior can be seen from the fbrm of social and individual behavior of the elephants. Changes in
social behavior, including how they tive in groups and reproduce, r,vhile changes in individual behavior
san be seen in time butlget of browsing, eating, drinking, flicking, Iicking for the source of the salt and
resting behavior. Changes in elephant behavior are a response of adjustmenl to their new environment
that is Elephant Training Center (ETC). So far, the behavior study of tame elephants in Seblat ETC
area has never been published. Recent study discusses browsing behavior and extensive home range of
wild elephants found in the forest area of SNP Seblat using telemetry (Sitornpul et aI.,2013). This
study aitns to assess the allocation of tirne budget of daily elephant's behavior in ETC around Seblat
Nature Park area, North Bengkulu Regency. The results of this scientific study will be important
information for ex situ conservation management of Sumatran elephants'

I\{ATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted from Ostober to December 2014 locating at Elephant Training
Center in Seblat Nature Park area, North Bengkulu Regency, Observation to time duration of daily
elephant behavior is focused on five (5) individual of adult males, nine (9) individuals of adult f'emales,
and one individual of adolescent female using scan sampling method ( lead anirnal technique) that is
the trbservation method using a time interval and time lag for each observation of elephant behavior
(Altrnan, 1970; Litvaitis,2000).Dailybehaviorof eachelephantwasobservedfor30rninuteswitha
time lag of observation for 5 minutes. Total ohservrtion of time daily behavior of each elephant was
approximately seven (7) hours. Daity behavior observed included browsing, f'eeding, and drinking
water, licking mineral salts, resting, playing, flushing water or soil onto the body and flicking food onto
the btrdy. The data obtained in the tield, it was analyzed quantitatively and described descriptively.
Quantitative analysis was perf'orrned on the percentage of daily etephant behavior by using the
t'ollowing ibrmula:
Percentage Behavii:r

:

A/B

x

100 %

A : tctal c f behaviar obsen ed.
B : Total of all behaviur observed (Martin and Batesun, 1988).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The study results proved that in general, the daity behavior of tame elephant population at
the Etephant Training Center (ETC) in SNP region was dominated by t'eeding (26,35 Yo) md
browsing/watking behavior (27 ,96 %), tbttowed by tbrms of other behavior such as tlicking t'ood onto
the body (12,04 %), flushing water or soil onto the body (10,29 %), drinking water (9,27 %) md
resting (8,25%J. Behavior rarely done is activities of licking mineral salt (2,63 %) and playing (3.21 %)
(Figure l).
Those results are relatively similar to study of Yudarini et al. (2012) in a population of tame
elephants in Bali Satari and Marine Park Gianyar captivittes. Feeding behavior (43,76 %) and
browsing/walking (15,73 % ) were the dominant daily behavior pertbrmed by a herd of elephants
tbttowetl testing behavior (26,20 %), licking mineral salts (1,40 %), tlicking (7,53 %) and drinking
(0,s4%).

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lnternational Seminar on Promoting Local Resources for Food and Health, 12-13 Ociober,2015, Bengkulu, lndqnesia

The behavior of the adult female elephants is more active than adult male etephants and
adolescent f'emales because they may require more energy (Stokke and du Toit, 2000; Ruckstuhl and
Neuhaus, 2000). There are several reasons why adult f'emales require more energy through fbraging
and browsing of an important food plants. Besides they have a large body size with digestive process
was inefficient, adult f'emale are responsible fbr the sustainability of new generation lif'e through the
process of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding (Claus et al., 2003; Shannon et al., 2006). The
energy needs of lactating females can be increased up to 150% (Blanchard, 2005). Adult female
elephants are also responsible for food, training, caring for and maintaining the child. Sumatra elephant
population is generally filled by E group of adult females, adolescents and infants are led by
experienced older female (McComb et al.,2001;Vidya & Sukumar,2005), While adult males isolate
themselves and are outside the adult female population groups. Adult male elephants witt go into the
adult fenrale population when the nrating season arrives.
Behavior of licking tnineral salts on adult rnales are higher because they rnuch more need these
items such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iodine and phosphorus than the others (Rode et a[.,
2006) to strengthen their bones , teeth , ivory and also keep the immune system as well as expedite the
process ofl fbod digestion (Hariyanto. 2009). [n general, elephanis always visit salt sources in
riverbanks, mountains and wells ( Milewski, 2000; Holdo et aI.,2002).

CONCLUSION
Daily behavior of domesticated elephants in Seblat ETC was not much different frorn the daily
behavior of the other tame elephants in Bali and the wild elephants in SNP forest which a[locate more
time budget for browsing /walking (27,96 %) , eating (26,35 %) , flicking food on the body {12,04 Yo),
flushing water or soil on the body (10,29 %), drinking water (9,27 %), resting (8,25%t), playing
(3,21%) and drinking mineral salts (2,63%). Based on the ditt'erences in gender and age, adutt f'emale
elephants were much more actit,e tbr daily behavior than adult elephant's male and adolescent t'emale.
Adult rnales much more allocated time budget t'or licking mineral salts than adult fernales and
adolescent.

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