The preference to feed on particular plant species may reflect the most desirable components that an animal perceives, in relation to what is available. The food preference of the Bornean elephant ... Show moreThe preference to feed on particular plant species may reflect the most desirable components that an animal perceives, in relation to what is available. The food preference of the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis Deraniyagala, 1950) in the Sebuku area of North Kalimantan was studied by chemical analysis on the metabolites of several known food plant species. We analysed the chemical properties of the Bornean elephant diet from thirteen food-plant species which represented the level of food-plant categories utilised by the Bornean elephant in the study area. All samples were analysed for nutritional value, and their metabolic profiles were obtained using 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These data were subjected to multivariate data analyses to identify the common components. This study confirmed that Bornean elephants tend to follow a strategy to maximise their energy intake by selecting food items rich in sugar and crude protein and minimise fibrous elements. The fact that they also prefer food items with high glutamate suggests that taste plays a role and this element may be a cue for the Bornean elephant to assist in foraging and searching for palatable food. Show less
My PhD covers the impact of land use changes on human-elephant conflicts (HECs), the feeding ecology and movements of the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) in North Kalimantan,... Show moreMy PhD covers the impact of land use changes on human-elephant conflicts (HECs), the feeding ecology and movements of the Bornean elephant (Elephas maximus borneensis) in North Kalimantan, Indonesia. I dentified two functional Bornean elephant dispersal corridors in the study area along the Agison River and the Upper Sibuda River which provide a connection between elephant core habitat in the Upper Apan of the Sebuku forest and the Bornean elephant population in Sabah, Malaysia. Although the population of elephants in the Sebuku forest is small, conservation efforts could secure its presence when important habitat of this forest keystone species is adequately protected. Although no retaliation in response to HEC has occurred in the study area, the frequency of crop-raiding incidents is increasing and the forest is being converted at an alarming rate. Current plans for the conversion of remaining forest into timber plantations or oil palm are posing a serious threat to the future of this small sub-population. Elephant movement patterns represent temporal patterns of site recursion amongst foraging sites. Recursion patterns showed via corridors suggest that it may be part of a foraging strategy to revisit areas of great nutritional value. Show less
Suba, R.B.; Ploeg, J. van der; Zelfde, M. van 't; Lau, Y.W.; Wissingh, T.F.; Kustiawan, W.; ... ; Iongh, H.H. de 2017
