Colchester Zoo Colchester Zoo news 2009 #1

Why did they try AI on her when the bull is in the same zoo?

Great news by the way. :)
 
I dont know it kind of spoils the fun of it for them :D

Tembo is always in a separate paddock maybe hes to grumpy to mix!! ??
 
karenZOO said:
I dont know it kind of spoils the fun of it for them :D

Tembo is always in a separate paddock maybe hes to grumpy to mix!! ??
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The article says that Tembo has fathered four calves,
  • Two naturally at Cholchester
  • Two through AI at two different european zoos
 
taun said:
Why did they try AI on her when the bull is in the same zoo?

Great news by the way. :)
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am i the only one thinking the date of the announcement is more than coincidence? Colchester Zoo didnt "rescue" Opal, Temo and Rosa, they bought them off mary chipperfield before the case even went to court. methinks colchester zoo was waiting for the anniversary of chipperfields conviction to announce this. dont get me wrong i like zoos but surely elephants shouldnt be kept anymore. US zoos are getting rid of them and a lot of british ones are and thats the way forward.
 
Thats not correct tarsiidae, US zoos are not getting rid of their elephants, SOME zoos have "chosen" not to keep them "instead" of spending big on up grading to multi-million dollar exhibits and yet OTHERS are spending up big expanding and/or replacing there present exhibits. Some British zoos are also up-grading there exhibits or not holding them, London zoo have sent theres to Whipsnade where they have one of the very best elephant exhibits in the Uk where they are now breeding well so I feel this is now the way forward. Where did you get your information from?
 
taun said:
Why did they try AI on her when the bull is in the same zoo?

Great news by the way. :)
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Take your pick of the following possibilites; Opal would not allow the bull to mount her; or he isn't interested in her for some reason; or by AI they could inseminate her at exactly the right time in her cycle or more often than natural mating was occurring(if it was).

Its good news but I'm sure I'm not the only one concerned about the outcome given her quite advanced age for a first pregnancy.
 
I think some important points are being raised here. It's not all rosy with the UK elephants, there are definitely pro's and cons to breeding. Is Zola still carrying the dead foetus? I think there is still a cow at Whipsnade in this condition. It is very risky creating a calf with older females. We will see how it pans out. I hope the calf is healthy and an enriching experience for both Opal and the whole herd. US zoos are beginning to get rid of/phase out their elephants, primarily because of AZA stipulation for minimum herd and enclosure size, which is still not very much in terms of space. The simple fact is that many US zoos need new exhibits to meet the requirements, and not all are willing or able to invest in these.

Colchester has a good house and I am impressed by their husbandry of their elephant herd. However, the outdoor space is unstimulating and tired, with lots of easy contact with hotwire if the elephants were to run a short distance or playfight too carelessly. With new calves on the way I would be mightily impressed if Colchester extended the outdoor space they afford these animals.

I wonder if they are trying AI also at West Midlands in that case?
 
US zoos are beginning to get rid of/phase out their elephants, primarily because of AZA stipulation for minimum herd and enclosure size, which is still not very much in terms of space. The simple fact is that many US zoos need new exhibits to meet the requirements, and not all are willing or able to invest in these.
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When did you hear this? MOST US zoos are increasing their elephant programs and exhibits.
 
I remember a year or two back talk of attempting AI with the 2 elephant cows at WMSP because the bull was not considered to be mature enough to successfully mate with them .
 
Bele said:
I remember a year or two back talk of attempting AI with the 2 elephant cows at WMSP because the bull was not considered to be mature enough to successfully mate with them .
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Presumably using the WMSP bull is in order to gain his representation, Tembo at Colchester already having fathered 4 calves.
 
okapikpr said:
When did you hear this? MOST US zoos are increasing their elephant programs and exhibits.
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You just have to examine the AZA requirements against the current enclosure and herd sizes, to see what is occurring. What you are seeing is those zoos that are able to afford to bring their exhibits and herd size (0.3 cows or more) up to minimum AZA standards, doing so. The rest are either stalling for time, or giving up their elephants. But I don't know what the deadline is for the new standards to be in place before accreditation is lost. Given the politics of the AZA, a US zoo is more likely to lose accreditation by sending its animals out of the SSP, eg to the Tennessee sanctuary, than for still having a substandard exhibit in place with 1 or 2 elephants. For many zoos, their houses simply won't accomodate a third elephant. It's a glass half empty/full situation. Some zoos are expanding their exhibits and herds, while some are inevitably closing theirs. But the net result is that the number of US zoos housing elephants is declining.
 
The AZA understands new construction, expansion, and acquisition takes time...therefore no clear deadline exists for physcial requirements to be met for zoos holding elephants. Those zoos that wish to maintain elephants, all that is required are concrete plans to comply with AZA standards. In response, MOST US zoos holding elephants are moving to comply with the AZA standards. In fact while a few zoos are deciding not to hold elephants, the number of holding space in North American for elephants is dramatically increasing causing a shortage of elephants.

What I dont understand are your comments that sound like American zoos as a whole are phasing out their elephants programs...a statment that just isnt true.
 
No clear deadline exists, but that is not to say that those institutions unable to commit to meeting the new standards will be able to remain as they are for much longer. If I'm wrong, and American zoo elephant exhibits are actually on the increase, then of course I stand corrected. But without conducting a survery I am pretty sure that this is not the case. I was not suggesting that American zoos as a whole are phasing out their elephant programs, quite the contrary; as in europe, the zoo community will fight to maintain a captive population, which will either invevitably decrease, or be supplemented by range country imports, as we are seeing in Australasia. But there will be a gradual, though not deliberate, phase-out over the next decade, as those US zoos able to maintain 3+ and/or a breeding situation will do so on 3 acres or more, while such a consilidation of stock will mean many others giving up their animals or losing them to old age/captivity-related conditions.
 
Such a survey does exisit....

http://www.elephanttag.org/Professional/AZA Elephant TAG RCP FINAL 2007 (2).pdf

it doesnt take much to do a little research before reaching such conclusions. While there are some zoos willing to forgive their elephants for consolidation of the herds (Philly, San Francisco, Abilene, Oklahoma City)...they understand that there will be a need in the future for more elephant space and still keep these animals in there collection plans.
 
tarsiidae said:
am i the only one thinking the date of the announcement is more than coincidence? Colchester Zoo didnt "rescue" Opal, Temo and Rosa, they bought them off mary chipperfield before the case even went to court. methinks colchester zoo was waiting for the anniversary of chipperfields conviction to announce this. dont get me wrong i like zoos but surely elephants shouldnt be kept anymore. US zoos are getting rid of them and a lot of british ones are and thats the way forward.
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What do you mean by getting rid of them? Also a lot of zoos are re-homing elephants to more appropriate zoos :)

The thing is a lot of zoos do their very best to care for the elephants. They wouldn't breed if they weren't happy or felt safe, that's how a lot of animals work.

Wild life reserves aren't always as amazing as people make out, especially for elephants. A few wild life reserves in Africa have had a lot of problems with elephants becoming too prosperous to the point of out competing other grazers and browsers, so much grass and plant life is dieing due to the elephants destructive nature that the parks are litterally dieing as a result. Sometimes zoos can be better than reserves in their management as they are able to manage the conservation of the plant life and so the animal life a lot better.
 
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