Severe Drought And Calf Survival In Elephants

Main Category: Veterinary
Article Date: 06 Aug 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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This study aimed at exploring how gender, age, mother's experience and family group characteristics determined calf survival in an elephant population during a severe drought in Tanzania in 1993.

Young males were particularly sensitive to the drought, calf loss was high among young mothers, and family groups that remained in Tarangire National Park suffered heavier calf loss than the ones that left.

This study suggests that extreme climatic events might act as a selection force on vertebrate populations, allowing only individuals with the appropriate behaviour and/or knowledge to survive.

Royal Society journal Biology Letters

Biology Letters publishes short, innovative and cutting-edge research articles and opinion pieces accessible to scientists from across the biological sciences. The journal is characterised by stringent peer-review, rapid publication and broad dissemination of succinct high-quality research communications.

Biology Letters

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