Intervention by an older, dominant bull elephant (Elephas maximus) during an agonistic interaction between adolescents at Denver Zoo

Bull Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) sociality is complex and understudied. Increasingly, researchers recognize the role of mature bull elephants in teaching adolescent bulls appropriate social and reproductive behaviours that enable them to have normal intra-species relationships after the adolescents leave their natal herds. We describe a specific intervention event by a mature, dominant bull in a novel social group with adolescent bull elephants at Denver Zoo, Colorado, USA. The mature bull intervened on behalf of an adolescent elephant, allowing this adolescent to escape from two other adolescents who were repeatedly chasing him, marking boundaries of appropriate behaviour for the adolescent bulls. This example provides evidence for adolescent bull elephants learning appropriate social behaviours from mature conspecifics and suggests that mature bulls play an active role in this relationship. Overall, this intervention behaviour supports the inclusion of mature bulls in social groupings of bull elephants in managed care.