Entry and aggregation at a Central African bai reveal social patterns in the elusive forest elephant Loxodonta cyclotis. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Goldenberg, Shifra Z.; Turkalo, Andrea K.; Wrege, Peter H.; Hedwig, Daniela; Wittemyer, George
• Is Part Of: Animal behaviour. Volume 171(2021)
• Page Start: 77
• Page End: 85
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: association index -- Elephas maximus -- frugivory -- Loxodonta spp. -- philopatry -- shared space use -- social network; Animal behavior -- Periodicals; 591.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.11.008
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0003-3472

Abstract

Abstract : Social relationships are shaped by ecological conditions, giving rise to diverse societies even among related species. Among elephants, females exhibit close, often familial bonds with some degree of philopatry and fission–fusion dynamics. Forest elephant sociality is the least studied among elephant species, and their ecology differs from that of savannah and Asian elephants. We use over 15 years of data from an individually identified population using the Dzanga Bai forest clearing in Central African Republic to characterize social patterns of adult female elephants in two contexts, when entering the forest clearing and within the clearing. Social properties were nonrandom and highly stable over the study period in both contexts. Composition of aggregations within the clearing indicated considerable mixing among females, while association in groups entering the bai together were limited in composition, likely representing core social units. The co-entry data set exhibited distinct communities that were not apparent in the co-occurrence data set. In contrast to savannah elephants, network centrality and age were negatively correlated, suggesting a muted or absent matriarch social hub role in forest elephants at a broader level than family units. Temporal and community analyses indicated that bai co-entry and co-occurrence contexts may represent distinct processes, with the former social and the latter driven by shared resource use. Our results point to social patterns potentially driven by the need for families to fission into small units because of resource competition and highlight the importance of aggregation context in interpreting association indices. Highlights: We examined social patterns of female forest elephants using a bai forest clearing. Composition of aggregations within the clearing indicated considerable mixing. Groups that entered the bai together likely represented core social units. Older females may not function as social hubs, unlike in other elephant species. Forest resource constraints may shape social patterns of this elusive species.