Health Status Examination of Sumatran Elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) Using Ultrasonography, Cortisol Analysis and Parasite Identification in Aek Nauli Elephant Conservation Camp (ANECC) and Tangkahan Conservation Response Unit (CRU), North Sumatra

Abstract

In North Sumatera, captive Sumatran elephants are maintained in several conservation units, 2 of them were Aek Nauli Elephant Conservation Camp (ANECC) and Tangkahan Conservation Response Unit (CRU). Although elephant conservation sites have implemented a management plan to address elephant health and welfare issues, Sumatran elephants in captivity are still susceptible to some of the health issues such as breeding problems, stress, and poor health. Therefore, the health examination is necessary to be conducted regularly as an effort to save the Sumatran elephant which has been categorized as one of the critically endangered animals. This study was carried out in Aek Nauli and Tangkahan which covered the assessment of elephant reproduction status using ultrasonography, cortisol analysis using ELISA, and parasite identification using sedimentation, floatation and Parfit and Banks methods. The ultrasonography examination was carried out on each conservation site, while the collected blood and feces were transferred to Veterinary Medicine Faculty Universitas Syiah Kuala for cortisol and parasite analysis, respectively. The data on reproductive status, cortisol level, and gastrointestinal parasite were analyzed descriptively. The sonography result showed that 3 Sumatran elephants in ANECC had uterine cysts, while one pregnant elephant and two elephants with involution uteri were recorded in CRU Tangkahan. Worm eggs from genus trematode and nematode were found during feces examination in ANECC, but the only nematode was observed in Tangkahan. Elephant maintained in Tangkahan had a higher cortisol level (82.11±61.49 ng/ml) compared to those maintained in ANECC (16.87±3.88 ng/ml). As a conclusion, the reproduction status, cortisol level, and parasite gastrointestinal observed in Sumatran elephant maintained in 2 conservation sites (ANECC and CRU Tangkahan) were different, probably due to different stress factor and management implemented on.