The influence of personality and cognition on savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) behaviour

性格和认知对草原象（Loxodonta africana）行为的影响

• 批准号: 2891179
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Portsmouth
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2891179
• 关键词: influence; personality; cognition; savannah; elephant

The conflict between human and animals will worsen as the human population increases. Strategies to help prevent such conflict often rely on blanket approaches across all individuals within a species. Yet, little research has been carried out to understand the individual motivation, and ultimately personality, of animals who actively approach human settlements. In Botswana, villages in the Mkgadikgadi pans suffer with frequent human-elephant conflict (HEC), as savannah elephants frequently cross the river from the National Park to crop-raid. Currently, local authorities are constructing fences along the park border. Determining if fences are likely to mitigate HEC, or if alternative solutions need to be implemented, is integral to prevent greater conflict arising in this area. As such, our project aims to quantify whether personality predicts the cognitive expression of African savannah elephants, as a tool to understand the individual idiosyncrasies of the elephants. Exposing the elephants to a puzzle-box featuring three doors: a push-door (easiest), a slide (medium difficulty) or pull-chain (hardest) to access a fruit reward, will assess both their personality (bold or shy in approaching and exploring the novel object), and problem-solving ability (which door do they access first, how many attempts to open them). We shall also assess if personality and problem-solving differs between: a) wild and captive savannah elephants, b) Asian and African elephants, and c) an individuals' response to the puzzle-box and fences. Overall, this predictive measure to determine how our elephants will react to the fences [novelty], will aid the development of tailored conservation strategies.

随着人类人口的增加，人与动物之间的冲突将会加剧。帮助防止这种冲突的策略通常依赖于一个物种内所有个体的全面方法。然而，很少有研究来了解积极接近人类住区的动物的个体动机，最终是个性。在博茨瓦纳，Mkgadikgadi盆地的村庄经常发生人象冲突（HEC），因为萨凡纳大象经常从国家公园过河抢劫庄稼。目前，地方当局正在沿着公园边界修建围栏。确定围栏是否可能缓解HEC，或者是否需要实施替代解决方案，对于防止这一领域出现更大的冲突至关重要。因此，我们的项目旨在量化个性是否预测非洲萨凡纳大象的认知表达，作为了解大象个体特质的工具。将大象暴露在一个有三扇门的谜题盒中：推门（最简单）、滑梯（中等难度）或拉链（最难）来获得水果奖励，将评估它们的个性（大胆或害羞）接近和探索新物体），以及解决问题的能力（它们首先进入哪扇门，尝试打开它们多少次）。我们还将评估以下三种大象的个性和解决问题的能力是否不同：a）野生和圈养的萨凡纳象，B）亚洲象和非洲象，以及c）个体对拼图盒和栅栏的反应。总的来说，这种预测性的措施，以确定我们的大象将如何反应围栏[新奇]，将有助于制定量身定制的保护战略。