At an elephant camp in central Myanmar (Burma), we interviewed mahouts and veterinarians to describe the diet of Asian elephants
(
Elephas maximus) in a mixed-deciduous forest. Elephants showed a broad dietary breadth (103 plant species from 42 families); consumed mostly
browse (94% of plant species); and were very selective about plant parts [e.g., many trees were eaten exclusively for their
bark (22%) or fruits (14%)]. The fruits from 29 plant species were recorded to be eaten by elephants. Several of these were
found as fruit remains, seeds, or seedlings in elephant dung, suggesting a role of Asian elephants in seed dispersal. Work
elephants and their mahouts prove to be a rich source of information to understand wild elephant ecology.
Keywords Captive elephants -
Elephas maximus
- Diet - Frugivory - Myanmar