Orphaned elephants may suffer from PTSD much like humans

[lavenderviolet]

Ran across a very interesting article from a recent National Geographic. It talks about an African refuge for orphaned elephants and about recent findings that suggest elephants have very human-like reactions to the traumatic loss of their family to human activities like poaching:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/09/orphan-elephants/siebert-text

I think this part gives something interesting to reflect on. I can see how this might be analogous to what we see in human society in areas that have experienced social breakdown and multiple traumas (like children growing up in inner city environments where there is a lot of violence and few positive adult role models)…

Bradshaw speculates that this early trauma, combined with the breakdown in social structure, may account for some instances of aberrant elephant behavior that have been reported by field biologists. Between 1992 and 1997, for example, young male elephants in Pilanesberg Game Reserve in South Africa killed more than 40 rhinoceroses—an unusual level of aggression—and in some cases had attempted to mount them. The young elephants were adolescent males that had witnessed their families being shot in cullings at Kruger National Park—sanctioned killings to keep elephant populations under control. At that time it was common practice for such orphaned elephant babies to be tethered to the bodies of their dead relatives until they could be rounded up for translocation to new territories. Once moved to Pilanesberg, the orphans matured without the support of any adult males. “Young males often follow older, sexually active males around,” says Joyce Poole, “appearing to study what they do. These youngsters had no such role models.”

For Allan Schore, an expert on human trauma disorders at UCLA who has co-authored papers with Bradshaw, the behavior of these elephants conforms to a diagnosis of PTSD in humans. “A large body of research shows that the neurobiological mechanisms of attachment are found in many mammals, including humans and elephants,” he explains. “The emotional relationship between the mother and her offspring impacts the wiring of the infants’ developing brain. When early experiences are traumatic, there is a thinning down of the developing brain circuits, especially in areas that process emotional information and regulate stress. That means less resilience and an enduring deficit in aggression regulation, social communication, and empathy.”

One effort to repair the torn fabric of an elephant group lends further support to the idea that early trauma and a lack of role models can lead to aggression: After Joyce Poole suggested that park rangers in South Africa introduce six older bull elephants into Pilanesberg’s population of about 85 elephants, the aberrant behavior of the marauding adolescent males—and their premature hormonal changes—abruptly stopped.

[lavenderviolet]

Here’s the website for the elephant rescue: http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/

I am thinking of asking for my family to contribute to the elephant orphans in lieu of Christmas gifts this year, because I feel like there isn’t a lot of material stuff that I want this year.

[Freudian_Slit]

Awww. Poor little elephants.

I remember hearing about African elephants who had seen their mothers slaughtered, that later grew up with emotional issues and began to rape rhinos…not sure if that’s true or not. But I always think of it when I hear about traumatized elephants.

[Rachellelogram]

Were there issues with the young female elephants too? Or just the males?

A very interesting story!

[Freudian_Slit]

Ah, it’s the same elephants! Though I’m not sure if mounting = rape in the animal world…

[Becky2844]

I’ve read articles where the whole herd waits while a newborn (not born perfect) struggles to function appropriately.
Stories of dying elephants where the herd gathers around, using their trunks to stroke it. And when death occurs, they still wait…mourn?..for days before they move on.
The graveyards of elephants. Mounds of bones. If the herd is near one the dying one throws themselves/drops onto the site.

Jane Goodall’s group of chimpanzees had one youngster who, when his mother died, stayed perched on a limb above her. Didn’t eat, and eventually died himself.

Animals feel, and know. They communicate within their group. Just because they can’t “talk” to us doesn’t mean they don’t think and feel.

[Marley23]

@Becky2844

The graveyards of elephants. Mounds of bones. If the herd is near one the dying one throws themselves/drops onto the site.

This, I think, is a misinterpretation of evidence or an urban legend. But I have no trouble believing an elephant would be traumatized by the loss of a parent. They have very strong emotional bonds.

[lavenderviolet]

Following the wiki link on Elephant cognition, it sounds like they do have a lot of awareness of death. Apparently they are the only species other than humans and previously neanderthals that has death rituals: Elephant cognition - Wikipedia

It’s bad enough when poaching harms a species of animal, but it seems especially awful when the survivors are probably experiencing emotional distress and trauma from it.

[elfkin477]

So, I can’t be the only one who cried reading the article. Right?

[lavenderviolet]

The article made me cry too. I cry pretty easily at stories about animals suffering, because I feel like they are so helpless compared to humans.