Elephants avoid wasting energy during their epic journeys

Efficiently finding food is crucial for African elephants, the largest land animals on Earth. These endangered creatures require 330 pounds of low-calorie vegetation daily for sustenance. However, the methods they use to locate the best food sources remain a mystery. Data from over 150 elephants revealed that they plan their journeys based on resource availability and energy costs. The results, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology on March 26, highlight the importance of every step for these majestic animals.

Emilio Berti, an ecologist from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, emphasized the significance of these findings for conservation and restoration efforts in a statement.

Every step you take

The African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is listed as Critically Endangered, while the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Human activities have further fragmented their habitats, making it essential to understand their movements for effective conservation strategies. These elephants can travel long distances in a day, but the factors influencing their movements have been unclear.

A study conducted by scientists from the University of Oxford, iDiv, and Friedrich Schiller University Jena used GPS tracking data from 157 African elephants in northern Kenya collected by Save the Elephants from 1998 to 2020.

The data revealed that elephants prefer areas with lower movement costs, avoiding rough terrain and steep slopes. This suggests that they make informed decisions to choose energy-efficient paths. They also select regions with higher vegetation productivity and show varied responses to water sources, indicating complex movement choices.

The team used a modeling method called ENERSCAPE to analyze the tracking data, estimating energy costs based on body mass and terrain slope. By integrating these estimates with satellite data on vegetation productivity and water availability, they created detailed energy landscapes to explain elephant movement decisions.

They also employed step-selection functions to assess how elephants chose their paths, identifying key environmental factors influencing their movements and habitat selection.

[ Related: African elephants use name-like calls to address each other. ]

‘Save energy whenever possible’

These findings can aid in designing protected areas and migration corridors to minimize human-elephant conflicts. Understanding individual habitat preferences, especially regarding water access, is crucial for effective conservation strategies.

Furthermore, these results can help predict how elephant movements might respond to climate change, as shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns impact energy costs and resource availability.

Future research aims to enhance energy landscape models by incorporating seasonal variations, human disturbances, and climate change effects on elephant movements.

Fritz Vollrath, an evolutionary biologist from the University of Oxford and a study co-author, highlighted the importance of these findings in understanding elephant habitat utilization.

Make a conscious effort to conserve energy whenever you can.