ArticlePloS one2016
Assessment of Body Condition in African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) Elephants in North American Zoos and Management Practices Associated with High Body Condition Scores.
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers.
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Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed.
- Positive Reinforcement Training in Captive Wild Mammals: An Integrative Review.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Review
- Ultrasonographic Assessment of the Lungs in Asiatic Elephants (Elephas maximus).Veterinary radiology & ultrasound : the official journal of the American College of Veterinary Radiology and the International Veterinary Radiology Association · 2026Article
- The Emerging Role of Prolactin as a Biomarker for Reproduction, Health, and Welfare in Wildlife Species: Elephants as a Model.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2026Review
- Body Condition and Temperature-Humidity Index Are Associated With Cortisol Levels as Indicators of Physiological Stress in Sumatran Elephants.Veterinary medicine international · 2026Article
- Visual body condition scoring for wild African forest elephants (African journal of ecology · 2025Article
- Bridging the Gap: Using Wild African Elephant Metabolic, Reproductive, and Stress Hormone Profiles to Enhance Management in Human Care.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Improving Mobility: A Case Report on the Rehabilitation of a Gait Anomaly in an Asian Elephant at a Thai Elephant Conservation Center.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Transcutaneous ultrasonography for visualization of the kidneys in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus): a quantitative assessment of echogenicity and echotexture in comparison with the liver and spleen.BMC veterinary research · 2025Article
- Memory-Based Navigation in Elephants: Implications for Survival Strategies and Conservation.Veterinary sciences · 2025Review
- Metabolic profiles of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Lao PDR and Thailand.PloS one · 2025Article
- Obesity Prevalence and Associated Factors in Captive Asian Elephants (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2024Article
- Quantifying maternal investment in mammals using allometry.Communications biology · 2024Article
- Article
- Body condition scoring facilitates healthcare monitoring in Hermann's Tortoises (Testudo hermanni ssp.).PloS one · 2024Article
- Exploring the gut microbiota of healthy captive Asian elephants from various locations in Yunnan, China.Frontiers in microbiology · 2024Article
- Comparison of animal welfare assessment tools and methodologies: need for an effective approach for captive elephants in Asia.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2024Review
- Physiological changes in captive elephants in northern Thailand as a result of the COVID-19 tourism ban-stress biomarkers.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2024Article
- Characteristics of gut microbiota in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) from infant to elderly.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Seasonal Effects on Body Condition and Characteristics of the Estrous Cycle in Captive Asian Elephants (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2023Article
- Hormonal variation and temporal dynamics of musth in Asian elephants (Conservation physiology · 2023Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Obesity has a negative effect on health and welfare of many species, and has been speculated to be a problem for zoo elephants. To address this concern, we assessed the body condition of 240 elephants housed in North American zoos based on a set of standardized photographs using a 5-point Body Condition Score index (1 = thinnest; 5 = fattest). A multi-variable regression analysis was then used to determine how demographic, management, housing, and social factors were associated with an elevated body condition score in 132 African (Loxodonta africana) and 108 Asian (Elephas maximus) elephants. The highest BCS of 5, suggestive of obesity, was observed in 34% of zoo elephants. In both species, the majority of elephants had elevated BCS, with 74% in the BCS 4 (40%) and 5 (34%) categories. Only 22% of elephants had BCS 3, and less than 5% of the population was assigned the lowest BCS categories (BCS 1 and 2). The strongest multi-variable model demonstrated that staff-directed walking exercise of 14 hours or more per week and highly unpredictable feeding schedules were associated with decreased risk of BCS 4 or 5, while increased diversity in feeding methods and being female was associated with increased risk of BCS 4 or 5. Our data suggest that high body condition is prevalent among North American zoo elephants, and management strategies that help prevent and mitigate obesity may lead to improvements in welfare of zoo elephants.
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