Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants

Abstract Working animals spend hours each day in close contact with humans and require training to understand commands and fulfil specific tasks. However, factors driving cooperation between humans and animals are still unclear, and novel situations may present challenges that have been little-studi...

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Autores principales:	Océane Liehrmann, Jennie A. H. Crawley, Martin W. Seltmann, Sherine Feillet, U. Kyaw Nyein, Htoo Htoo Aung, Win Htut, Mirkka Lahdenperä, Léa Lansade, Virpi Lummaa
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/b6990f06ccf84f9092bedfb3a2cb2fbb
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:b6990f06ccf84f9092bedfb3a2cb2fbb2021-12-02T16:25:00ZHandler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants10.1038/s41598-021-95048-w2045-2322https://doaj.org/article/b6990f06ccf84f9092bedfb3a2cb2fbb2021-07-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95048-whttps://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Working animals spend hours each day in close contact with humans and require training to understand commands and fulfil specific tasks. However, factors driving cooperation between humans and animals are still unclear, and novel situations may present challenges that have been little-studied to-date. We investigated factors driving cooperation between humans and animals in a working context through behavioural experiments with 52 working semi-captive Asian elephants. Human-managed Asian elephants constitute approximately a third of the remaining Asian elephants in the world, the majority of which live in their range countries working alongside traditional handlers. We investigated how the familiarity and experience of the handler as well as the elephant’s age and sex affected their responses when asked to perform a basic task and to cross a novel surface. The results highlighted that when novelty is involved in a working context, an elephant’s relationship length with their handler can affect their cooperation: elephants who had worked with their handler for over a year were more willing to cross the novel surface than those who had a shorter relationship with their handler. Older animals also tended to refuse to walk on the novel surface more but the sex did not affect their responses. Our study contributes much needed knowledge on human-working animal relationships which should be considered when adjusting training methods and working habits.Océane LiehrmannJennie A. H. CrawleyMartin W. SeltmannSherine FeilletU. Kyaw NyeinHtoo Htoo AungWin HtutMirkka LahdenperäLéa LansadeVirpi LummaaNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Océane Liehrmann Jennie A. H. Crawley Martin W. Seltmann Sherine Feillet U. Kyaw Nyein Htoo Htoo Aung Win Htut Mirkka Lahdenperä Léa Lansade Virpi Lummaa Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants
description	Abstract Working animals spend hours each day in close contact with humans and require training to understand commands and fulfil specific tasks. However, factors driving cooperation between humans and animals are still unclear, and novel situations may present challenges that have been little-studied to-date. We investigated factors driving cooperation between humans and animals in a working context through behavioural experiments with 52 working semi-captive Asian elephants. Human-managed Asian elephants constitute approximately a third of the remaining Asian elephants in the world, the majority of which live in their range countries working alongside traditional handlers. We investigated how the familiarity and experience of the handler as well as the elephant’s age and sex affected their responses when asked to perform a basic task and to cross a novel surface. The results highlighted that when novelty is involved in a working context, an elephant’s relationship length with their handler can affect their cooperation: elephants who had worked with their handler for over a year were more willing to cross the novel surface than those who had a shorter relationship with their handler. Older animals also tended to refuse to walk on the novel surface more but the sex did not affect their responses. Our study contributes much needed knowledge on human-working animal relationships which should be considered when adjusting training methods and working habits.
format	article
author	Océane Liehrmann Jennie A. H. Crawley Martin W. Seltmann Sherine Feillet U. Kyaw Nyein Htoo Htoo Aung Win Htut Mirkka Lahdenperä Léa Lansade Virpi Lummaa
author_facet	Océane Liehrmann Jennie A. H. Crawley Martin W. Seltmann Sherine Feillet U. Kyaw Nyein Htoo Htoo Aung Win Htut Mirkka Lahdenperä Léa Lansade Virpi Lummaa
author_sort	Océane Liehrmann
title	Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants
title_short	Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants
title_full	Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants
title_fullStr	Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants
title_full_unstemmed	Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants
title_sort	handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive asian elephants
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/b6990f06ccf84f9092bedfb3a2cb2fbb
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Handler familiarity helps to improve working performance during novel situations in semi-captive Asian elephants

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