TERF Project detail
Direct Observation
This is directly watching the elephants, identifying them, photographing them and recording information about their behaviour.
Method
We drive along the park roads and tracks looking for elephants. When we find them, we take detailed notes on the number of elephants, where possible their sex and approximate age, where we find them, what they are doing and so on. If we meet new elephants we make detailed descriptions of them so we can identify them in future.
Each elephant is different. To identify them we use ear shape and features such as holes or nicks, ear pigmentation (colour), tusk presence, shape and size, tail length and hairiness and overall size to help us identify the different animals.
We use this data to make an identification record for each elephant and every time that elephant is seen, more information on that elephant’s behaviour, family group, associations with other elephants and so on, is added to the record.
Occasionally we meet elephants in the forest, but it is very hard to see them clearly, let alone to take clear photographs or video and really identify them.
Findings:
- Identified Elephants: We have identification records for 23 solitary males, 1 solitary female and 7 family groups (April 2005). (Link)
- We would like to have identification records of all the elephants in the Park, though this might not prove possible. At the moment, we compare our existing identification records with camera trap photographs (see below) and to decide if we have a new individual in a camera trap photograph or whether it is one we have already identified.
- Active Times & Places: We find that the Khao Yai elephants are most active along the roadsides during the night, especially from about 8.00pm to midnight. We usually see them close to roadside saltlicks or eating vegetation that grows along the roads.
- Adult males were most frequently sighted alone (91% of sightings of adult males).
- Female elephants were mostly sighted in groups, the group size ranging from 2 to 24 animals.
- 46% of elephant sightings were at salt licks.
- Elephants are more frequently seen on the roads to the south of the park Headquarters, particularly in the vicinity of two roadside salt licks on this stretch of road.
