Joshua Plotnik, PhD Awarded a 5-year Research Grant from the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Understanding Elephant Behavior: A Novel Approach to Mitigating Human-Elephant Conflict in Kanchanaburi, Thailand - 3. Elephant Personality Profiling as Scalable, Evidence-Based Mitigation
Abstract:
The goals of this project are to complete elephant personality profiles in and around Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary, assess the efficacy of the targeted personality human-elephant conflict (HEC) mitigation methodology, and demonstrate the scalability of HEC personality-based mitigation in two completely novel locations with novel elephants: Chantaburi and Chachoengsao, Thailand. The objectives are as follows: 1) identify individual elephants in the Salakpra landscape; 2) continue data collection on personality and cognition in elephants living in and around Salakpra; 3) determine the efficacy of olfactory deterrents and how they can be integrated into the personality-targeted mitigation plan; 4) pilot and test the TPD using a systematic before/during test design across multiple seasons; 5) assess the efficacy of a non-targeted personality HEC mitigation tool (nTPD) in MPS; 6) assess the efficacy of the TPD and the nTPD in novel villages with known and unknown elephants around Salakpra; 7) evaluate the TPD/nTPD as a scalable HEC mitigation method across landscapes; 8) maintain and expand cross-cultural mentorship initiative between U.S. and Thai students; 9) hire, train and support Thai and American research staff and students in the implementation of the research; 10) promote education and support of Thai rangers and villagers through the project period; 11) collaborate with members of the IUCN Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) and Coexistence Specialist Group (HWCCSG) in promoting the integration of animal behavior research in HWC mitigation; and 12) produce a final, distributable set of guidelines for use by HEC stakeholders to trail or implement the use of nTPD/TPDs in personality-driven mitigation in other landscapes within Thailand or abroad.
