论文标题：Differences in age-specific mortality between wild-caught and captive-born Asian elephants

期刊：Nature Communications

作者：Khyne U. Mar

发表时间：2018/08/07

数字识别码：10.1038/s41467-018-05515-8

原文链接：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-05515-8?utm_source=Other_website&utm_medium=Website_links&utm_content=RenLi-Nature-Nature_Comms-Conservation-China&utm_campaign=NATCOMMS_USG_JRCN_RL_sciencenet_elephants_Aug_3rd

微信链接：https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/prm_6kLWOOjV4h8zk6ZTTQ

《自然-通讯》发表的一项研究Differences in age-specific mortality between wild-caught and captive-born Asian elephants称，缅甸境内捕获的用来伐木的野生亚洲象比圈养繁殖的同类寿命更短。

虽然圈养对动物生活史影响的研究越来越多，但人们对圈养繁殖和野外捕获动物之间的长期差异却不甚了解。

图源：Pixabay

芬兰图尔库大学的Mirkka Lahdenperä和同事通过1951年到2000年的种群记录对缅甸伐木场的5150头大象的寿命进行了研究。作者发现，被捕获的野生大象（2072头）在任何年龄段都比圈养繁殖的大象（3078头）面临更高的死亡风险，这种风险从捕获时起每两年会下降近一半。作者还发现，大象捕获时的年龄越大，其死亡风险也越高。此外，其它大型哺乳动物捕获后的死亡风险是否高于其圈养同类仍需进一步研究。

图2：和大象捕获相关的大象死亡率。a. 捕获时的年龄越大，死亡率越高；b. 死亡率自捕获起每两年下降一半。

图源：Lahdenperä et al.

摘要：Wild-capture of numerous species is common for diverse purposes, including medical experiments, conservation, veterinary interventions and research, but little objective data exists on its consequences. We use exceptional demographic records on Asian elephants from timber camps in Myanmar to investigate the long-term consequences of wild-capture during 1951–2000 on their mortality (N = 5150). We show that captured elephants have increased mortality compared to captive-born elephants, regardless of their capture method. These detrimental effects of capture are similar for both sexes but differ substantially according to age. Elephants captured and tamed at older ages show a higher increase in mortality after capture than elephants captured and tamed young. Moreover, the increased mortality risk following capture and taming is still perceived several years after capture. Our results are timely given the continued capture of elephants and other wild animals to supplement captive populations despite the alarming declines of wild populations globally.

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（来源：科学网）