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

Zainuddin, Zainal Zahari and Daim, Mohd. Shariff and Othman, Nasharuddin (1998) Traumatic injury from radio collar on a captive Asian elephant (Elephas maximus). [Journal / Magazine]

PDF Jil161998.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (6MB)

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.

Actions (login required)

View Item