When Teddy the elephant is fed up - you should keep your distance. The sensor will tell when

As part of a unique experiment, a behavior meter was installed on the leg of Teddy the elephant from the biblical zoo that warns in advance of the heat period

Teddy the Asian elephant at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem is participating in a scientific study on the estrus period in male elephants. The heat period, known as "mast", comes once a year and lasts about a month during which the elephants go through hormonal changes and become restless and unpredictable. Receiving the information in real time is of great importance to the care team.

As part of the experiment, Teddy wears a behavior meter (pedometer) made by C.H.M. Afikim on his leg, which measures the elephant's steps and studies them and thus knows how to warn of a sudden change in the elephant's movements, which could be due to entering the heat period, illness or some other reason. The therapists read the data of the pedometer every morning and cross-reference them with additional tests and thus know how to estimate in advance for the "hot period".

About 70% of the cows in Israel show off the behavior meter and it is used to help dairy farmers in discovering their estrus period for insemination. Now for the first time it has been adapted for use on an elephant's leg. The results of the research are expected to arouse great interest in elephant breeding sites and zoos around the world.

Teddy the elephant (12 years old) is an Asian elephant and as such has a crucial role in preserving the endangered Asian elephant lineage. Upon reaching adulthood, male elephants tend to become more aggressive, so there are few zoos that keep male elephants. In the biblical zoo, a beautiful and spacious yard was built in honor of Teddy the elephant where he sometimes "hosts" an elephant or two. The yard was built according to the principles of the method used to train Teddy - the "protected contact" method. This way, the handlers can continue to work with him, when they are well protected even when the elephant is aggressive and unpredictable.