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Cited by 12Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesPrimate Behavior and EcologyAnimal Behavior and Reproduction

Understanding Temporal Social Dynamics in Zoo Animal Management: An Elephant Case Study

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Williams, Ellen, Bremner-Harrison, Samantha, Hall, Carol, Carter, Anne·2020·Animals
DOI 10.3390/ani10050882PMC PMC7278397
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Abstract

Zoo animal management procedures which lead to changes to social groups can cause disruption in social hierarchies and the temporary breakdown of social relationships. Animals have different roles in social networks. Understanding individual positions in social networks is important for effective management and ensuring positive welfare for all animals. Using elephants as a case study, the aim of this research was to investigate temporal social dynamics in zoo animals. Behavioural data were collected between January 2016 and February 2017 from 10 African and 22 Asian elephants housed at seven zoos and safari parks in the UK and Ireland. Social interactions were defined as positive physical, positive non-physical, negative physical or negative non-physical. Social network analysis explored social relationships including the fluidity of networks over time and dyadic reciprocity. Social interaction networks were found to be fluid but did not follow a seasonal pattern. Positive interaction networks tended to include the entire social group whereas negative interactions were restricted to specific individuals. Unbalanced ties were observed within dyads, suggesting potential inequalities in relationships. This could impact on individual experiences and welfare. This research highlights subtle temporal dynamics in zoo elephants with the potential for species-level differences. Similar temporal dynamics may also be present in other socially housed zoo species. This research thus provides evidence for the importance of understanding the social networks of zoo animals over longer periods of time. Understanding social networks enables pro-active and evidence-based management approaches. Further research should seek to identify the minimum sampling efforts for social networks in a range of species, to enable the implementation of regular monitoring of social networks and thus improve the welfare of social species under human care.

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  • Depending on species social style and individual factors, disrupting the social life of an individual or group can be quite significant.

    “Depending on the social style of the species and individual factors such as age, sex, temperament, and previous experiences, disrupting the social life of the individual or group of animals can be quite significant [42,43].”

    From The Concept of Agency, Animal Wellbeing, and the Practical Realities of Ex Situ Breeding Programs in Zoos and Aquariums (2024) · cites this paper as [43]

    The Introduction says reduced group stability can harm welfare and identifies fission–fusion species as particularly difficult to manage in zoos. The Discussion (section 4.2) also describes possible species-level differences and age-related changes in elephant social dynamics. Our copy does not establish that temperament or previous experiences affect the significance of social disruption, so it supports the general point but not the full list of factors. (LLM, conf=0.84)

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Cited by

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Authors
Williams, E., Bremner-Harrison, S., Hall, C., & Carter, A.
Affiliations
  • Nottingham Trent University (GB)
  • School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0QF, UK
Corresponding author
Williams, Ellen
ORCID
Venue
Animals
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2020-05-19
Volume
10
Issue
5
Pages
882
ISSN
2076-2615 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3390/ani10050882
PMC
PMC7278397
OpenAlex
W3026833665
Cited by
12
References
6
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2
FWCI
1.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Animals (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Nottingham Trent University's Institutional Repository (Nottingham Trent Repository) (acceptedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • Nottingham Trent University (N/A)
  • Banco Santander (N/A)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Keywords
zoo animal management, social networks, elephants, Loxodonta africana, Asian elephant, social hierarchy, dyadic reciprocity, animal welfare, safari parks

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