Positive Reinforcement Training for Elephants in Nepal

Authors

• Ariel Fagen
• Narayan Acharya
• Gretchen E. Kaufman

Institutions

• Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, Chitwan, Nepal
• Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Chitwan, Nepal

Abstract

• Importance of positive reinforcement in improving animal management and welfare.
• Traditional Nepalese elephant training relies on punishment and aversion.
• Study focused on using Secondary Positive Reinforcement (SPR) for trunk wash training.
• Subjects: 5 female elephants (4 juveniles, 1 adult).
• Result: 4 juveniles successfully learned the behavior.

Introduction

• Traditional training uses pain as motivation (e.g., kocha, sharp bamboo stick).
• Positive reinforcement promotes voluntary and reliable behavior.
• Benefits include improved animal welfare, safety, and ease of veterinary care.

Training Methods

• Animals & Setting: Five female elephants in Nepal.

  • 4 juveniles (5-7 years), 1 older adult.
  • Elephants graze under mahout’s control and are chained when not grazing.

• Training Methodology: Entirely SPR using whistle (secondary) and banana (primary).

  • Training in stalls, presence of mahouts without interference.
  • Utilized techniques: capture, lure, shaping.

Basic Behavioral Tasks

1. Trunk Here: Trunk placed in trainer's hand.
2. Trunk Up: Trunk raised to allow fluid run.
3. Bucket: Trunk placed in bucket.
4. Blow: Strong exhalation through trunk.
5. Steady: Hold position.

• Chaining: Combining learned behaviors for trunk wash.

Results

• Juveniles learned trunk wash within 35 sessions.
• Adults showed less success due to distractions and potential physical impediments.
• Training improved success rates from 39% to 89.3%.

Discussion

• SPR training feasible and efficient for juvenile elephants.
• Juvenile elephants learned quickly, while adults faced challenges.
• Effective despite distractions and training environment constraints.
• Recommendations for future studies to expand on age groups and training environments.

Conclusion

• SPR is a viable method for training elephants for veterinary procedures.
• Enhances elephant welfare and management relationships.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Nepal’s Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation and other contributing organizations and individuals.

Key References

• Desmond & Laule on protected contact and elephant welfare.
• Pryor on positive reinforcement principles.
• Studies on animal training efficacy across various species.

These notes summarize the study and findings on positive reinforcement training for elephants, highlighting the effectiveness of SPR techniques in training juvenile elephants for veterinary tasks, specifically focusing on the trunk wash procedure for tuberculosis testing.