Traumatic injury from radio collar on a captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)


Citation

Zainal Zahari Zainuddin, . and Mohd. Shariff Daim, . and Nasharuddin Othman, . Traumatic injury from radio collar on a captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). pp. 44-50. ISSN 0121-8126

Abstract

In March 1997 a satellite transmitter and collar weighing 54kg was brought in from USA to be sewred on a translocated elephant. In elephants traumatic injuries were reported post translocation as a result of leg chains and bull hooks. To determine the safety of using a heavy satellite transmitter a 50-year-old bull elephant weighing about 3200kg was selected for this purpose. The adverse effect of the radio collar was recorded weekly with regards to the areas underneath the transmitter and collar the animal's activity ease of feeding and mobility of its neck. During the first week of observation the parameters were normal. In the second week a right displacement of the transmitter was seen with obvious discomfort to the animal and a reduction in its neck mobility. In the fourth week there was severe edema and abscessation of areas underneath the radio-collar. A two-centimeter depression was observed on the dorsum of the neck measuring 12cm wide and 25cm long. Thus all collars prior to trial on the wild elephants must be tried out on the domesticated ones in captivity. From the brief but useful experiment on the captive animal it is very probable the animal would have died within a month in the wild. It took only 24 days for the entire dermis to be exposed.


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Abstract

In March 1997 a satellite transmitter and collar weighing 54kg was brought in from USA to be sewred on a translocated elephant. In elephants traumatic injuries were reported post translocation as a result of leg chains and bull hooks. To determine the safety of using a heavy satellite transmitter a 50-year-old bull elephant weighing about 3200kg was selected for this purpose. The adverse effect of the radio collar was recorded weekly with regards to the areas underneath the transmitter and collar the animal's activity ease of feeding and mobility of its neck. During the first week of observation the parameters were normal. In the second week a right displacement of the transmitter was seen with obvious discomfort to the animal and a reduction in its neck mobility. In the fourth week there was severe edema and abscessation of areas underneath the radio-collar. A two-centimeter depression was observed on the dorsum of the neck measuring 12cm wide and 25cm long. Thus all collars prior to trial on the wild elephants must be tried out on the domesticated ones in captivity. From the brief but useful experiment on the captive animal it is very probable the animal would have died within a month in the wild. It took only 24 days for the entire dermis to be exposed.

Additional Metadata

[error in script]
Item Type: Article
AGROVOC Term: Traumatic injuries
AGROVOC Term: Elephas maximus
AGROVOC Term: Elephants
AGROVOC Term: Asiatic elephant
AGROVOC Term: Electronic data transmission
AGROVOC Term: Clinical experimentation
AGROVOC Term: Myositis
AGROVOC Term: Wounds
AGROVOC Term: Myiasis
AGROVOC Term: Trauma
Depositing User: Mr. AFANDI ABDUL MALEK
Last Modified: 24 Apr 2025 00:54
URI: http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/8437

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