Branding

Definition of Branding

From the elephant glossary Section: management tools

Branded elephant, Khaing Lwin Htoo in Cologne Zoo, with number 5116 under the star. Photo: Fredrik Mohlin.

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A large number of elephants in Myanmar, or imported from Burma/Myanmar, has chemical branding tattoo in shape of a star, on both ther hips. Some also have a number under the star.

From Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, 2006 by Murray Fowler, Susan K. Mikota

Burmese government-owned elephants are chemically branded using a corrosive paste of kaolin, caustic soda and glycerin. 4,5 Branding distinguishes tame from wild or privately owned elephants. The latter have their own branding marks.

Biology, Medicine, and Surgery of Elephants, 2006 by Murray Fowler, Susan K. Mikota

After the completion of taming, each elephant is classified as the trained calf (TC) and assigned a
permanent individual registration number (which is later branded on their rump as a permanent
marker), a Mahout and a log book, known as “FORM J” (Figure 1.20,b), in which its biodata
(sex, temperament, Musth, mating, calving, veterinary intervention etc) are recorded. All
government-owned elephants have two branding marks on each rump, star on top and the
registration number (Figure 1.18,a). Branding is made by using a corrosive paste, containing light
kaolin, bentonite and caustic soda mixed with glycerin and methyl Alcohol. It is usually done
during the rest period in summer so that the working season is not disrupted. Evans (1910) and
Ferrier (1947) gave similar descriptions of chemical branding which includes washing and
cleaning of the skin, tying the elephant’s tail under its belly, applying the paste and then leaving
the elephant in the sun to hasten drying of the paste. The swollen black mark appears within 24
hours and in due course the skin peels off leaving a permanent scar of the branded markings after
routine application of dressing oil containing fly repellent and antibiotics. Branding marks help to identify and distinguish tamed elephants from wild counterparts or from private-owned elephants,
which normally have their own branding marks.

Khyne U Mar, 2007

Reference list Koehl, Dan, (2024). Branding. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 September 2021 at https://www.elephant.se/index.php?id=273. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

*FOWLER
THE DEMOGRAPHY AND LIFE HISTORY STRATEGIES OF TIMBER ELEPHANTS IN MYANMAR, by Khyne U Mar, 2007, page 41, https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1446021/1/U593347%20redacted.PDF

Selected publications

Links about Branding

Selected external links for this article about Branding:

http://circusnospin.blogspot.com/2009/01/elephant-brands.html
https://qctimes.com/news/local/ask-the-times/elephants-star-tats-come-from-camp/article_e373f378-f2da-11e0-b152-001cc4c03286.html
THE DEMOGRAPHY AND LIFE HISTORY STRATEGIES OF TIMBER ELEPHANTS IN MYANMAR, by Khyne U Mar, 2007, page 41, https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1446021/1/U593347%20redacted.PDF

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Categories glossary | management tools

About this documentThis document was created: 2023-08-24. Latest update: 2023-08-24 13:35:25 included 2010 characters with valid HTML5