NEONATE MORTALITY IN CAPTIVE ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS-MAXIMUS)

One third of Asian elephants born in European zoos and circusses are s tillborn (16.0%) or killed or refused by their mothers (15.7%). Stillb irths and infanticides are rare in extensively kept and wild-living el ephants. Infanticide could be related to life history of the mothers: Females which had grown up in the company of an older, motherly female adopted their offsprings without complications. Those having lacked s uch affection, tended to kill or at least not to adopt their neonates. Stillborn calves show higher neonate weights (124.6+/-20.8kg) than su rviving calves (92.0+/-27.6kg). Positive correlations were found betwe en gestation period and neonate weight as well as between neonate weig ht and relative weight (body weight/shoulder height) of the mother. As female elephants in modern toes and circusses are relatively heavier than those living in Asian camps, they produce calves after longer ges tation periods (644.4+/-19.5 days) with larger neonate weights (105.6/-26.6 kg) than extensively kept females in Asia (598.1+/-51.6 days; 7 4.0+/-21.6 kg). Chances to survive parturition are negatively correlat ed with lenght of gestation and neonate weight.