Before I knew it, my proposal was submitted and I was on the plane to Beijing ready to begin my 10- week research adventure! Both Jo, a fellow student, and I were welcomed by the team at Beijing Forestry University (BFU). As our collaborators, they helped us to get our research up and running.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>View across the rainforest in the direction of Nangunhe<\/p><\/div>\n
With fewer than 250 elephants in China, conservation efforts are needed across the country. However, with limits on time and funding, I could only focus on one Asian elephant population. This population exists in Nangunhe National Nature Reserve (NGH), an expanse of protected rainforest in southwest Yunnan Province (see figures). The elephants here are potentially the most vulnerable in China as they number at just 20 to 23 individuals and have been isolated for 20 years. Such a small population is subject to stochasticity, which is where birth and death processes fluctuate by chance. For instance, there may be no females born one year. This is a concern for elephants in NGH as they could become easily inbred, and ultimately extinct in the future.<\/p>\n
<\/a>View across the rainforest in the direction of Nangunhe<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>An elephant captured on one of the camera traps<\/p><\/div>\n
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In order to reverse the effects of stochasticity, one needs to know the state of the elephant population in NGH and how it can be improved. The central aim of my study was therefore to reveal the structure of this population, focusing particularly on population size, density, social organisation, sex ratio and age distribution. The elephants in NGH are notoriously shy and so I obtained this data through camera trapping, identifying and aging individuals based on their body features. This unsurprisingly required relentless photo zooming, a keen eye and dedication! 1,394 camera days and hours of analysing later, I gained some exciting results, which both answered old questions and raised new ones. Ultimately, my project will inform the management at NGH and contribute to the conservation of this invaluable elephant population.<\/p>\n