scholarly journals Vaccination against GnRH may suppress aggressive behaviour and musth in African elephant (Loxodonta africana) bulls - a pilot study

2010 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. De Nys ◽  
H. J. Bertschinger ◽  
J. A. Turkstra ◽  
B. Colenbrander ◽  
R. Palme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
African Elephant ◽  
Gland Secretion ◽  
Vaccine Adjuvant ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Temporal Gland Secretion ◽  
Cortisol Metabolites

Aggressive behaviour and musth are constant problems in captive and sometimes in free-ranging African elephant bulls. Aggressive bulls are difficult and musth bulls almost impossible to manage without severely restricting their movement either by leg-chaining or using tranquillisers. This study investigated the relationship between faecal androgen metabolites (FAM) and faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM) concentrations and aggressive behaviour and tested a GnRH vaccine as a means of down-regulating aggressive behaviour and musth in 1 free-ranging and 5 captive elephant bulls. The bulls were non-aggressive (n = 3), aggressive (n = 2) or in musth (n = 1) at the onset of the study. The bulls were injected with a GnRH vaccine-adjuvant combination 3 or 4 times at 3- to 7-week intervals. Behaviour, FAM and FCM concentrations were measured during every week prior to vaccination until 4 months after the last vaccination. FAM concentrations were positively correlated with aggressive behaviour before the 1st vaccination. Androgen production, as reflected by FAM concentrations, was down-regulated in 3 of the 6 immunised bulls. At least 2 bulls and possibly a 3rd showed behavioural improvement following GnRH vaccination and in all 3 temporal gland secretion ceased. No further aggressive behaviour was observed until the end of the study in any of the bulls. The results of this 1st GnRH immunisation study suggest that it could be a useful method to control aggressive behaviour and musth in African elephant bulls.

Constituents of temporal gland secretion of the African elephant,Loxodonta africana

1982 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 821-835 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Wheeler ◽  
L. E. Rasmussen ◽  
F. Ayorinde ◽  
I. O. Buss ◽  
G. L. Smuts
Keyword(s):  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
African Elephant ◽  
Gland Secretion ◽  
Temporal Gland Secretion

Effects of poaching on bull mating success in a free ranging African elephant (Loxodonta africana) population in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

2007 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. S. Ishengoma ◽  
A. M. Shedlock ◽  
C. A. H. Foley ◽  
L. J. Foley ◽  
S. K. Wasser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mating Success ◽  
National Park ◽  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
African Elephant ◽  
Tarangire National Park ◽  
Free Ranging

scholarly journals Use of anti-gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccines in African elephants (Loxodonta africana): A review

Bothalia ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik J. Bertschinger ◽  
Imke Lueders
Keyword(s):  
Aggressive Behaviour ◽  
Semen Quality ◽  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone ◽  
Sperm Production ◽  
African Elephants ◽  
Releasing Hormone ◽  
Aggressive Behaviours ◽  
Free Ranging

Background: Androgen-related aggressive behaviour and musth cause serious problems in captive African elephant bulls and often lead to human and animal injuries, and damage to property.Objectives: To review the work carried out with anti-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) vaccines to control androgen-related behaviour and fertility in captive and free-ranging elephant bulls and the induction of anoestrus in elephant cows.Method: In the first study, an anti-GnRH vaccine from Pepscan was tested in six bulls (four captive and two free-ranging). Once the vaccine Improvac® became available, the effect on behaviour, the reproductive organs and semen quality was tested. Improvac® was also used to attempt induction of anoestrus in elephant cows.Results: The first study proved that aggressive behaviours are significantly associated with increased faecal androgen concentrations. Musth (n = 1) and aggressive behaviour (n = 2) were down regulated and correlated with a decline in faecal androgen concentrations. Aggression and musth could be controlled with Improvac® (600 µg), but were more consistent when the dose was increased to 1000 µg administered every five to six months. The same dose down regulated testicular function and bulls (n = 17) were rendered infertile within 12 months after commencement of treatment. Initial attempts to induce anoestrous with 600 µg in free-ranging elephant cows gave inconclusive results, but 1000 µg in captive cows delivered five-monthly was successful.Conclusion: The treatment of elephant bulls with Improvac® resulted in the successful down-regulation of androgen-related behaviour and sperm production in captive and wild elephant bulls of various ages (≤ 34 years). Preliminary studies to induce anoestrus in cows with Improvac® appear to be successful.

Antiphonal vocal bouts associated with departures in free-ranging African elephant family groups (Loxodonta africana)

Bioacoustics ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. O'Connell-Rodwell ◽  
J. D. Wood ◽  
M. Wyman ◽  
S. Redfield ◽  
S. Puria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
African Elephant ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Family Groups

scholarly journals Tusklessness and tusk fractures in free-ranging African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana)

2007 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Steenkamp ◽  
S.M. Ferreira ◽  
M.N. Bester
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Drift ◽  
Founder Effect ◽  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
African Elephant ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Founder Population ◽  
African Savanna ◽  
History Of ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Selective Culling

The incidence of tusklessness varies between free-ranging African elephant populations. Sex-linked genetic drift predicts 2 outcomes - the condition becomes fixed and sex-specific incidences diverge when populations are small and/or heavily poached. By contrast, for large and intact populations, tusklessness diminishes and there is no variation between sexes. We tested these predictions by comparing sex-specific incidences between 15 populations: a small one with a skewed founder effect towards tusklessness; 5 that had experienced intense levels of poaching; 2 that had been subjected to non-selective culling and 7 that are relatively pristine. Patterns of rainfall were studied of tusk fractures amongst these populations to correct for any effect that acquired tusklessness may have on our predictions. The incidence of tusk fractures was related to annual rainfall, but the mechanism that leads to an increase of the condition in drier areas was not clear. Incidences of tusk fractures in free-ranging populations implied that the frequency of acquired bilateral tusklessness is low and should not affect our results. All males had tusks. Tusklessness in females was high in the small skewed founder population and some of those where there was a history of poaching. The incidence is expected to decline if the residual population is large.

Temporal gland secretion in African elephants (Loxodonta africana)

2017 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 34-40
Author(s):  
John Kioko ◽  
Kris Taylor ◽  
Heather J. Milne ◽  
Kendra Zoë Hayes ◽  
Christian Kiffner
Keyword(s):  
Loxodonta Africana ◽  
Gland Secretion ◽  
African Elephants ◽  
Temporal Gland Secretion

scholarly journals Influence of chronotype on daily mood fluctuations: pilot study in patients with depression

BJPsych Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantin F. Brückmann ◽  
Jürgen Hennig ◽  
Matthias J. Müller ◽  
Stanislava Fockenberg ◽  
Anne-Marthe Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Clinical Setting ◽  
Early Morning ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Patient Subgroup ◽  
Depression Risk ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
The Relationship

Summary Depression risk is associated with a late chronotype pattern often described as an ‘evening chronotype’. Fluctuations in mood over consecutive days have not yet been measured according to chronotype in in-patients with depression. A total of 30 in-patients with depression and 32 healthy controls matched for gender and age completed a chronotype questionnaire and twice-daily ratings on mood for 10 consecutive days (registered in the German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00010215). The in-patients had Saturdays and Sundays as hospital-leave days. The relationship between chronotype and daily mood was mediated by the weekday–weekend schedule with higher levels of negative affect in the evening-chronotype patient subgroup at weekends. Results are discussed with respect to a probably advantageous standardised clinical setting with early morning routines, especially for patients with evening chronotypes.

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