GPS tracking reveals home range and habitat preference of semi-captive elephants in Myanmar

Abstract

Semi-captive elephants have been extensively used in the tourism sector in Myanmar. However, these elephants have not been provided with the range of habitats they require, resulting in increased Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) within the local community. In addition, there are very limited studies on the assessment of their home ranges, habitat preferences, and preferred food plants. We aimed to address three research questions: (1) What is the size of semi-captive elephants’ daily home range? (2) In which habitat types do they prefer to stay? (3) What are their preferred food plants? We fitted GPS devices on the six semi-captive elephants 3–4 times a month in three study sites over seven months. The sample collection of food plants was carried out at each site. The results indicated that the mean average size of the daily home range for semi-captive elephants was 0.90 km² (95% KDE), with a range of 0.38 to 2.38 km². We found that the habitat provided for semi-captive elephants was not large enough to be inhabited. The analysis of habitat selection showed that elephants prefer to use secondary forests. The Poaceae family was found to be the main food taxon. We suggest that more areas be provided around elephant camps and that the currently permitted habitats be protected from land use that overlaps with other forestry operations.