![Social life helps orphaned elephants overcome loss: study](https://www.americanmarconiwirelessnews.com/media/shared/articles/47/ec/85/Social-life-helps-orphaned-elephant-919566.jpg)
-
Macron, ex-PM remember bloody liberation of French port
-
Noel Gallagher's 'Brit Pop' guitars go under hammer
-
US clears way for hearing aid feature in new Apple AirPods Pro
-
Hamilton not disappointed by Newey move to Aston Martin
-
Final report clears WADA in Chinese swimmers case, adds rules need strengthening
-
US calls for Africa to get two permanent UN Security Council seats
-
Burrow's Bengals aim to bounce back against Chiefs
-
Ingebrigtsen says getting stronger, bullish over world records
-
Putin warns West risks 'war' if it backs Ukraine long-range strikes
-
Peru mourns divisive former strongman Fujimori
-
Vaughan's son takes 11 wickets as Somerset revive title bid by beating champions Surrey
-
Long-awaited case on Man City charges to start on Monday: report
-
PSG refuse League order to pay Mbappe disputed €55 million
-
Harris, Trump target swing states after fierce debate
-
Ten Hag hits back at Ronaldo criticism over Man Utd ambition
-
Oscar hopefuls to bookend US French film festival
-
UN chief calls for 'courage' ahead of Summit of the Future
-
French rugby federation blames 'poorly managed' supervision for youth player drowning
-
Movie producer Harvey Weinstein indicted on new charges: US media
-
Ex-Scotland captain Hogg to miss Montpellier match after bail release
-
'Historic': Bad weather slashes wine harvest in France's Jura
-
ECB rate cut boosts European stocks, euro
-
Piastri not 'pulling over' for Norris at every race
-
'Energised' Tebogo looking to close season with Diamond League bang
-
Millions in SE Asia battle floods, death toll passes 250
-
Fiat 500 electric production pauses for one month
-
London Fashion Week opens with Charli XCX party and second-hand runways
-
ECB cuts rates again, Lagarde backs EU reform call
-
Storm Francine downgraded but still drenching US south
-
Everton say 'work to be done' on Textor takeover
-
Shelling kills 3 Red Cross workers in E.Ukraine
-
Shelling kills 3 Red Cross workers killed in E.Ukraine
-
Iran president makes 'historic' visit to Iraqi Kurdistan
-
Brigitte Macron awarded damages over false trans claim
-
ECB rate cut boosts Europeans stocks, euro
-
Deadly Israeli strike on Gaza school draws global condemnation
-
Russia recaptures part of Kursk region
-
Bike-loving Dutch grapple with 'fatbike' phenomena
-
Ahead of Champions League warm-up, PSG are soaring and Brest slumping
-
ECB cuts rates again as inflation slows
-
Denmark's von Trier to direct a new film
-
Arteta agrees new Arsenal deal
-
Jon Bon Jovi helps woman standing on edge of US bridge
-
SpaceX makes history with first spacewalks by private citizens
-
England's Livingstone 'feels like a kid again' after injury setbacks
-
Brazil urges EU to suspend 'punitive' anti-deforestation law
-
Myanmar residents flee deadly floods in boats and on makeshift rafts
-
Power struggle and chaotic player trading: What's going at Chelsea?
-
Blinken seeks common cause in Poland after Ukraine jitters
-
Stocks rally on cooler US inflation, before ECB rate call
RBGPF | 4.7% | 59.81 | $ | |
RYCEF | 2.33% | 6.45 | $ | |
CMSC | -0.08% | 25.221 | $ | |
BCC | 3.72% | 126.81 | $ | |
NGG | -0.17% | 69.2 | $ | |
SCS | 0.34% | 13.385 | $ | |
CMSD | 0.17% | 25.174 | $ | |
RELX | 1.56% | 47.895 | $ | |
RIO | 0.96% | 61.805 | $ | |
JRI | -0.08% | 13.17 | $ | |
VOD | -0.05% | 10.035 | $ | |
BCE | 0.23% | 35.27 | $ | |
GSK | -1.67% | 43.051 | $ | |
BP | 0.95% | 31.59 | $ | |
BTI | -0.35% | 38.985 | $ | |
AZN | -2.27% | 78.745 | $ |
![Social life helps orphaned elephants overcome loss: study](https://www.americanmarconiwirelessnews.com/media/shared/articles/47/ec/85/Social-life-helps-orphaned-elephant-919566.jpg)
Social life helps orphaned elephants overcome loss: study
Orphaned elephants manage to overcome the loss of their mother by living in a herd, highlighting the importance of a social support for the species, according to a study.
Scientists investigated the consequences of a mother elephant's death on her child by examining the level of stress hormones in the excrement of 37 young elephants in Kenya between 2015 and 2016.
Among the young elephants, 25 had lost their mother between one and 19 years before from poaching or drought.
Of the 25 orphans, 20 stayed within the same family unit after the mother's death, while five joined an unrelated group.
The researchers found that stress hormones were at similar levels in the long term among orphans and the other elephants, even though the former were expected to show more stress symptoms in the absence of maternal care.
Any stress among the orphans did not last long, showing their "resilience" and the effect of social support from the other elephants, said Jenna Parker, the main author of the study published this week in the journal Communications Biology.
The importance of family links was obvious when observing elephant herds, Parker told AFP.
The young rarely stray more than 10 metres (33 feet) away from their mother and "incredible" reunions involving the entire group were seen after a few hours of separation, said the researcher at Colorado State University in the United States.
When poachers or hunters kill an elephant, that social cohesion disintegrates and threatens the group's wellbeing, particularly the young ones left orphaned, she said.
The bond between a baby elephant and its mother is believed to be strong even after weaning.
- 'Playmates' -
Parker and her colleagues investigated how orphaned elephants felt by measuring the quantity of hormones they release when faced with stress.
The hormones can be found in blood, saliva, urine and faeces. The last option was chosen as the most reliable and widespread way to measure stress in wild animals because it is non-invasive, Parker said.
Only the excrement of young females aged between two and 20 in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs reserves in northern Kenya was used, with males less easy to track because they are less attached to their original herd.
Scientists also found lower stress levels among young elephants growing up in groups with more animals of a similar age, suggesting that "playmates" are essential for them.
The results could guide orphanages to provide companions of the same age to help orphaned elephants.
The study also concluded that releasing groups of orphaned elephants together after they were linked during captivity could facilitate their transition to living in the wild.
H.E.Young--AMWN