@article{dfa980f225c9408a919e10d5d422ae66,
title = "Passive acoustic monitoring reveals behavioural response of African forest elephants to gunfire events",
abstract = "African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are a critically endangered and visually cryptic species that inhabits Central African rainforests. Using a 1250 sq-km grid of 50 acoustic sensors in Republic of Congo, we investigated the landscape-scale behavioural response of forest elephants to poaching events. We detected eight automatic weapon fire events over 1.5 years of recording (2017–2019). We examined detections of elephant vocalisations across grid sites within 10 km of the gunfire events in the 48 h surrounding the gunfire, and in paired 48-h control periods free of gunfire. Fewer vocalisations were detected before gunfire events than during control periods, suggesting elephants show behavioural responses to poacher presence before any shots are fired. Immediately following the gunfire events, a significant increase in elephant calls was detected, which may indicate increased communication to facilitate group cohesion and movement. Elevated call levels dropped to lower-than-baseline rates after several hours, suggestive of a sustained response. These patterns indicate forest elephants respond to both poacher presence and to gunfire events themselves. As these patterns may reflect behaviours that mediate population processes, conservation strategies should account for the potential of poaching to impact populations via indirect effects on nontarget elephants in the area.",
keywords = "African forest elephant, Loxodonta cyclotis, endangered species, gunfire, passive acoustic monitoring, poaching, rumble, vocalisations",
author = "Swider, {Colin R.} and Gemelli, {Christopher F.} and Wrege, {Peter H.} and Parks, {Susan E.}",
note = "Funding Information: We thank the Minist{\`e}re de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation Technique and the Institut National de Recherche Forestiere of the Government of Rep. of Congo for their permission to carry out this research as part of the work plan of the Nouabal{\'e}-Ndoki Foundation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Born Free Foundation, and K. Lisa Yang provided crucial financial support for this research. C.R.S. was funded by the National Defence Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship and the Syracuse University Graduate Fellowship. We thank the Wildlife Conservation Society for their collaborative support, and especially Frelcia B. Mampouya, Onesi J. Samba, Phael J. Malonga, and Terry M. Brncic for their essential on-the-ground dedication to the project. Last, but certainly not least, we greatly appreciate the organisational support of Elizabeth D. Rowland at the ELP. Funding Information: We thank the and the of the Government of Rep. of Congo for their permission to carry out this research as part of the work plan of the Nouabal{\'e}‐Ndoki Foundation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Born Free Foundation, and K. Lisa Yang provided crucial financial support for this research. C.R.S. was funded by the National Defence Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship and the Syracuse University Graduate Fellowship. We thank the Wildlife Conservation Society for their collaborative support, and especially Frelcia B. Mampouya, Onesi J. Samba, Phael J. Malonga, and Terry M. Brncic for their essential on‐the‐ground dedication to the project. Last, but certainly not least, we greatly appreciate the organisational support of Elizabeth D. Rowland at the ELP. Minist{\`e}re de la Recherche Scientifique et de l'Innovation Technique Institut National de Recherche Forestiere Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",
year = "2022",
month = dec,
doi = "10.1111/aje.13070",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "60",
pages = "882--894",
journal = "African Journal of Ecology",
issn = "0141-6707",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "4",
}