Rewilded African Elephants Show Wild-Like Behaviors After Years in Captivity

Researchers published findings in PLOS One showing that African elephants rescued from tourist camps and circuses can reacquire many natural behaviors when returned to the wild. The study tracked eleven former captive elephants on three fenced South African reserves and compared their vigilance, confrontations, and self-directed actions with those of wild elephants in a larger open reserve. Most behavioral rates were comparable, but the rewilded animals performed fewer environmental scans, likely because they had not needed those skills in captivity.

Preliminary stress biomarker measurements indicated elevated levels in several individuals, highlighting the need for deeper physiological monitoring. The authors note that group releases and the presence of resident wild elephants improve outcomes, though not all captive elephants are suitable for rewilding due to habitat fragmentation and human-elephant conflict. Ongoing research aims to assess reproductive hormones and other fitness indicators to gauge long-term success.