Routine progestin analyses indicate that some female elephants do not exhibit normal ovarian cycles. In 2001 a survey was conducted to assess the reproductive status of elephants in North America. Results indicated that only about half of captive elephants were being hormonally monitored. Of those, 14% of Asian and 29% of African elephants either were not cycling (i.e., considered ‘flatliners’) or exhibited irregular cycles. For both species, ovarian inactivity was more prevalent in the older age categories (>30 years of age), but for African elephants acyclicity was found in all age groups.

The results of this survey revealed that ovarian inactivity is a significant reproductive problem, especially for African elephants. A second Reproductive Survey has been distributed to all facilities holding elephants in North America.

IEF support will fund an assistant to gather and collate all survey data and statistically analyze and summarize the data. From this survey it is hoped to determine if the proportion of acyclic females has changed, and how reproductive problems are related to age and perhaps other socio-management factors.