Center for Elephant Conservation

Research & Conservation The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® is a global focal point for the worldwide study of Asian elephant behavior and reproduction. Staff at the Ringling Bros.Center for Elephant Conservation are frequently contacted through phone calls, faxes, letters and e-mail by zoos, veterinarians, scientists and scholars from around the world regarding animal husbandry.
While not open to the public, the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation coordinates visits by researchers, academicians and conservationists, and shares knowledge gained with the scientific community. Below are some published studies in which Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® has supported and participated: Results of vaccination of Asian elephants with monovalent inactivated rabies vaccine Ramiro Isaza, DVM, MS; Rolan D. Davis, MS; Susan M. Moore; Deborah J. Briggs, PhD(AJVR November 2006) Click here to read abstract Medical Management of a Corneal Stromal Abscess in a Female Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus)Ellen B. Wiedner, V.M.D., Dipl. A.C.V.I.M., Ramiro Isaza, D.V.M., M.S., Dipl. A.C.Z.M., Laurence E. Galle, D.V.M., Dipl. A.C.V.O., Kathleen Barrie, D.V.M., Dipl. A.C.V.O., and William Lindsay, D.V.M., Dipl. A.C.V.S.(Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine 37(3):397-400, 2006)Click here to read abstract Mirrors as Enrichment for Asian Elephants(Elephas maximus)Charles W. Hyatt, Troy Metzler, Brian French, and Deborah Fahrenbruck (JEMA, Volume 14, Number 3)Click here to read abstract Behavior of Circus Elephants During TransportJ.L. Williams and T.H. Friend(JEMA, Volume 14, Number 3)Click here to read abstract A complete list of studies may be found in the Library of Scientific Publications section located in this site.
Research Grants Ringling Bros.® recently funded two studies at the Smithsonian Institution National Zoological Park, which includes research on endotheliotropic herpes viruses (EEHV) being conducted by the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory and a reproductive collection study used for cryopreservation. About EEHV EEHV is the single greatest health threat to the Asian elephant today. Only four known elephants have survived the disease, one of
which is a Ringling Bros. elephant currently residing at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. The National Zoo’s EEHV lab is the only facility in North America that tests for the disease. EEHV infects only elephants and usually has a fatal outcome within a week of onset of symptoms, which include head and neck swelling, tongue cyanosis and lethargy. Elephants with EEHV symptoms are immediately started on famciclovir (an anti-herpes drug used in humans) to increase their chance of survival. Young Asian elephants are especially vulnerable to EEHV, as about half the deaths of young elephants in captivity are attributed to the disease. Not all sources of infection are known, although exposure to African elephants is an identified risk factor for the disease. About Reproduction and Cryopreservation Since the majority of North American captive Asian elephant females are post-breeding age and there are too few viable bulls (male elephants), the reproductive study will determine what factors influence the quality of semen and help establish techniques to recover the best samples for cryopreservation (a method of preservation using low temperature) of the collections. Cryopreservation will ensure the availability of good quality semen to artificially inseminate a cow (female elephant) during ovulation, which occurs three to four times a year. Sperm cryopreservation is also critical for developing a genome resource bank, which has long-term implications for species conservation. The bank will help researchers enhance genetic diversity and ensure a healthy Asian elephant population throughout the world. Ongoing Research Contributions Additional partnerships and support include the loan of a 33 year old bull elephant from the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation to the Ft. Worth Zoo, and the donations of semen collection for artificially inseminating cows at the African Lion Safari in Toronto, Canada, and most recently to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. There will be similar ongoing cooperative efforts with other facilities dedicated to the propagation of this endangered species.