Ranging behaviour, habitat use and predicting the potential distribution of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) in Gua Musang, Kelantan, Malaysia

Abstract

Land conversion has influenced the distribution and movement of Asian elephants. This study was conducted to understand the ranging behaviour and habitat use of Asian elephants in Sungai Betis Forest Reserve (SBFR) in Gua Musang, Kelantan, Malaysia. ArcGIS and MaxEnt softwares were used to estimate the home range and potential distribution based on the occurrence data points and environmental variables, such as distance to water and road, elevation, slope and vegetation cover. The results obtained showed that home ranges of the elephants were concentrated in the fragmented forest. There was a strong correlation between the environmental variables, which play significant roles in influencing the ranging behaviour and habitat use of Asian elephants.