Story perspectives

Elephants Rewilded After Captivity Thrive Over Five Years

8/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

The Elephant Reintegration Trust rewilded 11 elephants in South Africa and tracked them for five years.
Researchers filmed clips, measured dung glucocorticoid hormones within ranges, and found adult males and females were less attentive than peers, a gap linked to reduced self-scanning after captivity.
Tammy Eggeling and Brett Mitchell said the results show captive elephants can adapt, regain autonomy, and join wild populations, and the study appears in PLOS One.

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Story summary

The Elephant Reintegration Trust rewilded 11 elephants in South Africa and tracked them for five years.
Researchers filmed clips, measured dung glucocorticoid hormones within ranges, and found adult males and females were less attentive than peers, a gap linked to reduced self-scanning after captivity.
Tammy Eggeling and Brett Mitchell said the results show captive elephants can adapt, regain autonomy, and join wild populations, and the study appears in PLOS One.