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Birth Statistics For African (Loxodonta Africana) And Asian (Elephas Maximus) Elephants In Human Care: History And Implications For Elephant Welfare, Robert H.I. Dale
Birth Statistics For African (Loxodonta Africana) And Asian (Elephas Maximus) Elephants In Human Care: History And Implications For Elephant Welfare, Robert H.I. Dale
Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS
African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) have lived in the care of humans for many years, yet there is no consensus concerning some basic parameters describing their newborn calves. This study provides a broad empirical basis for generalizations about the birth heights, birth weights, birth times and gestation periods of elephant calves born in captivity. I obtained data concerning at least one of these four characteristics for 218 newborn calves from 74 institutions. Over the past 30 years, newborn Asian elephants have been taller and heavier than newborn African elephants. Neonatal African elephants exhibited …