Preferensi Pakan Gajah Sumatera (Elephas maximus sumatranus) Di Pusat Latihan Gajah Holiday Resort Aek Raso Sumatera Utara

Abstrak. Gajah sumatera merupakan satwa dilindungi yang populasinya semangkin menurun dan termasuk kedalam kategori keritis (critically and dangered/ CR). Dalam memilih habitat, gajah sumatera memperhitungkan berbagai faktor kondisi habitat misalnya ketersediaan tempat mecari makan, satwa liar ini juga memperhitungkan waktu melakukan berbagai aktivitas harian. Perilaku gajah sumatera meliputi perilaku individu dan perilaku sosial. Perilaku individu pada gajah meliputi perilaku makan, minum, berkubang, menggaram dan aktivitas indivudu gajah lainya. Perilaku sosisal gajah merupakan perilaku hidup dengan pola matriarchal, yaitu hidup berkelompok yang dipimpin betina dewasa dengan ikatan social yang kuat. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui jenis tumbahan pakan dan preferensi pakan gajah di pusat latihan gajah holiday resort. Jenis tumbuhan yang terdapat di pusat latihan gajah holiday resort dari hasil pengamatan pada tiga lokasi yang berbeda di peroleh 17 jenis pakan alami gajah dari 8 famili. Tumbuhan tersebut yaitu Famili Cyperaceae tiga spesies, Famili Poaceae empat spesies,Famili Fabaceae tiga spesies, Famili Euphorbiaceae dua spesies, Famili Moraceae dua spesies, Famili Arecaceae satu spesies, Famili Musaceae satu spesies, Famili Gleicheniaceae satu spesies.Feed Preferensi For Sumatra Elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) In Holiday Resort Elephant Training Center Aek Raso North SumatraAbstract. The Sumatran elephant is a protected animal whose population is decreasing and is included the critically and dangered CR category. In choosing the habitat of the Sumatran elephant, it takes into account varios factors of habitat conditions, such as the availability of places to forage for food, this wild animal also takes into account the time to carry out various daily activies. Sumatran elephant beharvior includes individual behavior and social behavior. Individual behavior in elephant includes eating, drinking, salting, and other elephant activities. The social behavior of elephants is a living behavior with a matriarchal pattern, namely living in groups led by adult females with strong social ties. The types of plants found in the holiday resort elephants training center from observations at three different locations obtained 17 types of natural food for elephants from 8 families. The plants are Family Cyperaceae with three species, Family Poaceae with four species, Family Fabaceae with three species, Family Euphorbiaceae with two species, and Family Moraceae with two species. Family Arteaceae one species, Family Musaceae one species. The Family Gleicheniaceae is one species.