Evaluating Formic Acid as a Behavioral Modifier in African Savanna Elephants

Author:

Wright Mark G.1,Gatti Irene2,Au Michelle G.1,Salehi Juliana1,Spencer Craig R.2,Allin Paul2ORCID,Mafra-Neto Agenor3ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA

2. Transfrontier Africa, Olifants West Nature Reserve, Hoedspruit 1380, South Africa

3. ISCA Inc., 1230 Spring Street, Riverside, CA 92507, USA

Abstract

Formic acid was investigated as a potential repellant for African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) as a semiochemical option for managing elephant movements and interactions with human infrastructure. Formic acid is a naturally occurring compound, used as an alarm pheromone and as a defensive chemical in Formicine ants, and thus a potentially desirable option compared to introducing exogenous deterrents that are foreign to the elephants’ natural habitats. Although most elephants observed (85%) did not interact with treatments containing formic acid, of the cohort of individuals (n = 38) that did respond, the majority showed a mild to moderate avoidance response, while a small proportion of elephants were distinctly repelled when experiencing formic acid cues, in some cases causing whole herds to evacuate an area. The potential for using formic acid as an elephant repellant to modulate elephant behavior in field situations is discussed.

Funder

Eva Crane Trust

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Nature and Landscape Conservation,Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous),Ecological Modeling,Ecology

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