GUIDELINES FOR COMPREHENSIVE ELEPHANT HEALTH MONITORING

Routine health monitoring should be performed on all elephants on an annual basis. Animals should be trained to permit sampling and examination. The following protocol advises that specific baseline laboratory tests be performed for the purpose of evaluating current health status. Additional tests are recommended to increase baseline information on other diseases to determine their significance to elephant health. The final decision for specific procedures should be made by the institutional animal care and veterinary staff based on individual circumstances. For additional information, refer to the Elephant Husbandry Manual, AZA Standards for Elephant Management and Care, and the AAZV Preventive Medicine Recommendations. Additionally, it is recommended that the veterinarian review the behavioral profile of the individual animals with elephant management staff on a regular basis