Positive Reinforcement Training for a Trunk Wash in Nepal's Working Elephants

Positive reinforcement training (PRT) is gaining popularity among animal trainers, particularly for teaching animals to participate in husbandry and veterinary procedures voluntarily.
Traditional elephant training techniques in Nepal predominantly rely on punishment and aversion methods, raising concerns regarding animal welfare.
The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of secondary positive reinforcement (SPR) for training elephants in Nepal to voluntarily engage in trunk washes necessary for tuberculosis (TB) testing.
Five female elephants (4 juveniles and 1 adult) participated in the study. The training consisted of various tasks measured by the amount of training time, number of training offers, and solution success rates.
Results showed that 4 out of the 5 elephants successfully learned the trunk wash in 35 or fewer sessions, averaging at 12 minutes per session, with performance improvement from 39.0% to 89.3% over training.
This demonstrates the feasibility of implementing SPR techniques for training traditionally trained elephants in Nepal.

Traditional elephant training methods incorporate:
- Punishment: Use of aversive stimuli to elicit avoidance behaviors.
- Negative Reinforcement: Removal of a negative stimulus as a reward for desired behavior.
- Positive Reinforcement: Providing a reward following the desired behavior to increase the likelihood of that behavior occurring again (Locke, 2006).

Utilized in various regions, particularly Southeast Asia.
Example: Use of pain from tools like the kocha, a sharp bamboo stick, to compel elephants to comply with commands (Locke, 2006).

Free Contact: Traditional practice in Nepal allows unlimited interaction between handlers and elephants, potentially jeopardizing safety and welfare (Locke, 2006).
Protected Contact: Modern alternative emphasizing keeper safety through barrier use while employing solely positive reinforcement methods (Desmond & Laule, 1994a).
- Involves sound markers as secondary reinforcers paired consistently with primary rewards (often food).

Defined as training that utilizes a conditioned sound marker preceding a reward, thereby enhancing the efficiency of communication and reinforcement (Pryor, 1999).
Once behavior is reliably performed, the sound marker can be phased out, allowing for decreased dependency on immediate food rewards.
Benefits:
- Encourages voluntary and relaxed participation.
- Boosts psychological well-being of the elephants and safety for the trainers.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a causative agent of TB in elephants.
Estimated 11-25% of the captive elephant population affected in regions like India, Nepal, and the United States, with as high as 22% in Nepal alone (Elephant Care International, 2011).
Symptoms range from subclinical disease to severe manifestations:
- Weight loss
- Coughing
- Difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
- Loss of appetite (anorexia)
- Nasal discharge (Mikota et al., 2001; USAHA Elephant Tuberculosis Subcommittee, 2012).
Zoonotic transfer risks necessitate stringent control measures, including annual testing recommended by health authorities.

Five female elephants were selected from a stable in Nepal:
- Four juveniles (5-7 years old)
- One adult (estimate age of 50)
Selection criteria included docility, lack of pregnancy, and willingness of the mahouts to participate in training.

Standard husbandry practices involving restricted movement and chained containment with daily grazing times were employed.
Diet consisted mainly of grasses and dhana (nutritional supplements).
Water access was limited to grazing periods.

Training Interval: Conducted during mornings and afternoons with chained elephants. No elephant went longer than 2 days without training.
Training focused on a series of behavioral tasks crucial for performing the trunk wash:
1. Trunk Here: elephant gently places its trunk in the trainer's palm.
2. Trunk Up: the trunk is lifted upwards to allow fluid flow.
3. Bucket: trunk placement into a bucket for collection.
4. Blow: a strong exhale to expel the liquid sample.
5. Steady: maintaining a specific position upon command.

Utilized capture, lure, and shaping techniques according to the behavioral tasks:
- Capture: rewarding spontaneous behavior.
- Lure: guiding toward desired positions or actions through food positioning.
- Shaping: gradually reinforcing closer approximations to the desired behavior.

Data Collection: Progress tracked via session time, number of offers, and performance tests post-training sessions.
Testing marked began after the 10th training session, with performance desired threshold set at 80% success for passing.

Juvenile elephants successfully acquired skills by the 25th to 35th session:
- Elephant 2: 25 sessions, mean of 10.29 minutes per session.
- Elephant 1: 30 sessions, mean of 12.42 minutes.
- Elephants 3 & 4: 35 sessions with session mean durations of 13.27 and 11.11 minutes, respectively.
Only Elephant 5 did not pass or complete the training.

Demonstrated significant performance improvement with a mean success increase from 39.0% to 89.3% (over approximately 35 sessions).

The study concludes successfully training juvenile elephants via SPR is feasible and efficient.
Results indicate significant improvements in the performance of trained elephants.
Emphasized that four elephants performing the trunk wash consistently within 35 sessions reflects the efficiency of SPR techniques in behavioral training.

Future research should consider a broader demographic (e.g., varying ages or genders), larger sample sizes, or alternative environments for generalizability.
Comparative studies should include traditional vs. SPR-trained elephants focusing on overall welfare and stress levels.

The study highlights the effectiveness of SPR techniques in training traditionally trained juvenile elephants in Nepal, demonstrating reliability and efficiency that may benefit captive management globally.