Fagen Et Al (results)

Question 1

Results: The Trunk Wash

Answer 1

• The 4 juveniles sucessfully learned the trunk wash
• Elephant 5 did not sucessfullly learn the trunk wash

Question 2

Results: The Trunk Wash (specific tasks)

Answer 2

• Elephant 2 and 4 never passed their steady tests
• Elephant 5 never passed: 1. Blow into bucket/ desensition/ steady test

Question 3

Results: Difficulty of the tasks

Answer 3

• Trunk here tasks required more offers than the bucket or blow into bucket tasks

Question 4

Results: Performance improvements

Answer 4

• All elephants gradually improved their perfomance over time
• The mean sucess rate went from: 39% after 10 sessions to 89.3% after 35 sessions

Question 5

Why did no mean percentage score never reach 100%?

Answer 5

• 90% was given as the default score to indiviudal behaviours (within a sequence)

Question 6

Results: Fastest and slowest sucess rates

Answer 6

• Elephant 2= 257 mins
• Elephant 4: 451

Question 7

Conclusions

Answer 7

1. It is feasible to train juvenile, free contact traditioanlly trained elephants in Nepal to particpate in a trunk wash using only SPR techniques
2. The elephants respond reliably to SPR and teaching new tasks is an efficient process. SPR could be a great tool for captive management programs around the world to improve behavioral management, and animal health. Through voluntary veterinary participation, trainer–elephant relations, and animal welfare.

Question 8

What are some reasons why Elephant 5 never sucessfuly learn the trunk wash?

Answer 8

• She was older
• Visual impairment/ trunk weakness, had a foot abcess
• She was reported as being distracted and inpatient during the study’s last week
• A calf from an ajacent stall interuppted some of her sessions by entering the training area.

Question 9

When did particpant drop out begin to occur

Answer 9

After session 25 (as ppts completed their training)