Pengelompokkan sosial dan kondisi lingkungan yang tercipta di kebun binatang dapat memengaruhi perilaku reproduksi gajah sumatra. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengevaluasi dan menganalisis perilaku reproduksi tahap pre-copulatory sebagai perilaku diurnal pada gajah sumatra (Elephas maximus sumatranus, Temminck 1847) jantan adolescence di Taman Margasatwa Ragunan. Penelitian dilakukan selama masa Pemberlakuan Pembatasan Kegiatan Masyarakat (PPKM) level 3 di DKI Jakarta. Waktu pengamatan dimulai pukul 08.00—14.00 WIB dengan interval waktu 15 menit selama 60 hari. Metode pengamatan yang digunakan adalah continuous focal sampling dan ad libitum untuk mengamati perilaku pre-copulatory meliputi flehmen, agonistic, reaching over, drive, erection, dan attempt mount. Penelitian pula dilakukan untuk mengamati perilaku harian dan perilaku interaksi sosial. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan perilaku harian dan interaksi sosial tertinggi gajah sumatra jantan adolescence di TMR yaitu makan (55,26%) dan conspecific play (0,96%). Gajah sumatra jantan adolescence hanya menunjukkan perilaku flehmen kepada gajah betina yang dikandangkan bersama dengan persentase sebesar 0,114% (0,107%: alpha female; 0,007%: betina subordinat). Perilaku flehmen ditunjukkan oleh gajah jantan adolescence saat betina urinasi di hari ke-11 hingga 14. Peneliti menyimpulkan bahwa gajah sumatra jantan adolescence yang terdapat di TMR sudah melewati inisiasi pubertas dengan menunjukkan perilaku reproduksi pre-copulatory yaitu flehmen kepada gajah betina dewasa.

---

Social groupings and environmental conditions in zoos can affect the reproductive behaviour of elephant. This study evaluated the pre-copulatory behaviour as diurnal pattern of adolescent male sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus, Temminck 1847) at Taman Margasatwa Ragunan. Observations have been carried out sixty days during the implementation of the third level of community activity restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic in the DKI Jakarta province, starting from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with an interval of 15 minutes. Continuous focal sampling and ad libitum were employed as study methods to observe the pre-copulatory behaviour, including flehmen, agonistic, reaching over, drive, erection, and attempt mount. Furthermore, the researcher observed daily and social interaction behaviour. Daily behaviour and social interaction behaviour of adolescent male sumatran elephant in TMR dominated by feeding (55.26%) and conspecific play (0.96%). The results showed that adolescent male sumatran elephant only performed flehmen behaviour to female elephant, caged together with 0.114% (0.017%: alpha female; 0.007%: subordinate female). Flehmen’s behaviour was shown by an adolescent male sumatran elephant when a female elephant urinated on days 11—14. Thus, this study reports that adolescent male sumatran elephant passed the initial of puberty by showing flehmen as precopulatory behaviour to female elephant.