Effect of the COVID-19 crisis on tourist elephant camp management and elephant welfare in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the tourism industry, especially in Thailand. Starting in April 2020, the Thai government banned international travel and all elephant tourist camps closed. A wide variety of management changes were implemented because of the lack of income from tourists. This study surveyed 30 camps that cared for >400 elephants in northern Thailand to obtain information on camp, elephant, and mahout management during the COVID-19 pandemic from April 2020 to April 2022 compared to the year before. Fifty-eight elephants (14 males and 44 females) from six tourist camps were assigned a body condition score (BCS) and blood and fecal samples were collected monthly for 2 years during the travel ban to measure: 1) muscle enzymes [creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST)]; 2) liver enzymes [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)]; 3) lipids [total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low (LDL) and high (HDL) density lipoproteins]; and metabolic function [glucose, insulin, fructosamine]; and 4) stress hormone — fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM); 5) serum oxidative stress [malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)]; and 6) stress leukograms and heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio. Serum CK concentrations were lower at the end of the study, possibly due to no tourist activities like riding. Changes in liver function included increased AST and ALP, also possibly due to physical inactivity. Feeding fewer bananas and sugar cane was associated with fewer elephants in the obese category and lower TG concentrations. However, increases in glucose, insulin, and fructosamine were observed as local people returned to feed elephants after lifting travel restrictions. In addition, fGCM concentrations increased within the first few months and remained higher than pre-COVID levels, as did the H/L ratio, a measure affected by cortisol. Serum 8-OHdG, an indicator of DNA oxidative damage, also increased over time, while monocytosis and lymphopenia further suggested alterations in immune function as a result of stress. In sum, changes in several health and stress biomarkers were observed in association with restricted activities and food resources. Camps need better plans to meet the health and welfare needs of elephants during any future disruptions to the tourism industry, although reduced feeding of sweet treats appeared to have positive effects on body condition and metabolic function.