African Bush Elephant kept at Tama Zoo are TomuTom It's been over six months since Tomu was left alone. In the previous article, I wrote about the efforts of animal keeper to reduce Tomu's problematic behavior, but there are still other challenges for Tomu. In this sequel, I will write about the development of a new route for Tomu to travel.

African Bush Elephant enclosure has various doors and partitions, offering numerous routes for movement between the indoor area and the exercise area alone. The more routes available, the more options there are for movement, allowing for random route planning each time. This helps Tomu develop his thinking skills.

Starting this spring, we've been working to make new, previously unused routes accessible, significantly increasing the number of options available compared to the previous one-way system. Below are two examples of our efforts so far.

The first route involves going from the indoor sleeping area through a squeeze cage to the exercise area. The squeeze cage is hydraulically operated to narrow its width, allowing for physical restraint of the elephant. In this trial, Tomu was particularly wary of this route, and at first, he even hesitated to go out when we opened the gate to his sleeping area. Therefore, we tried to gradually get him used to it step by step, and also tried the reverse version, going from the exercise area back inside, to see if he could pass through.

As a result, about a month later, this route hesitationchucho He can now pass through the cage without any problems, and even stay inside the cage for a while under the direction of animal keeper. Increasing the time he spends inside will broaden the range of things we can do for his health management in the future. Currently, he goes out to the exercise area using this route once a week, and his weight is measured each time.

The route from the bedroom to the second playground. You can also go through the squeeze gauge and out onto the first playground.	We'll try the reverse version: going from the playground back to the room. Checking the inside...

The second route was the one connecting the first and second sports fields. I had tried this route before, but I was too cautious to go through it then. I didn't think it would be that easy this time either, but surprisingly, I managed to get through on the first try.

I believe this is because, by continuously providing them with different experiences, such as having them try various routes before attempting this particular route, they have become more proactive in trying new things.

Currently, Tomu spends his mornings in the second exercise area, then travels this route to the first exercise area, where he usually spends his afternoons. This allows animal keeper to place food in one exercise area while Tomu is in the other, enabling him to explore a wider area for food throughout the day.

The route from the second sports field to the first sports field. Until now, they had to go back to their bedrooms before going out to the first exercise field.	Proceed carefully and slowly. Right in front of him was a branch of his favorite oak tree...

Through these new challenges, Tomu's thinking abilities have been stimulated, and problematic behaviors such as shaking the fence and rubbing his teeth against the wall are decreasing. Instead, he is now seen using the entire exercise area to actively search for food.

We, the entire animal keeper, will continue to work hard to ensure Tomu has a better life, so we would appreciate your continued warm support.

[Tama Zoo, Tama Zoological Park]

(November 11, 2022)