Last I heard they were still in the funding phase, I doubt they already begun construction. Do you have a source for this? I was watching the cam yesterday and I’m fairly certain the elephants were in the upper yard.
Just because Kubwa didn’t breed after that doesn’t mean Umngani, Swazi, and Ndula won’t. Cows are capable of falling pregnant well into their 40s and in rare cases, early 50s. Indianapolis didn’t have a bull on site and relied completely on AI which may be why Kubwa never conceived again. I’m confident Ndula and Umngani will be able to produce several more calves once a new bull is acquired. Swazi, like other pointed out, I’m skeptical about since it’s been nearly a decade since she last gave birth and she’s already 30+ which means there’s a possibility she will never calve again. I really hope that’s not the case!
Once a new bull is acquired, it’s very likely all 6 cows (plus perhaps Kaia as well, depending on when this occurs) will be given the opportunity to breed but Swazi, Khosi, and Kami are a priority. Ndula also should be bred soon due to her not having a daughter yet. Nisa and Kaia are probably least priority for breeding at the moment.
It was thought that Moose would actually become the parks to breeding to mate with the daughters of Mabu, along with Umngani, and Swazi, but that was before he moved to Fresno
Right, I just don’t understand why not a single bull was provided to or held back by the facility. They’re the only ones reliably producing calves until recently.
Fun fact: the SSP gave Moose a transfer recommendation to come back down to the Safari Park a few years back to breed with Khosi and Kami but unfortunately that never came to fruition.
I don’t think there’s a rush on breeding Nisa, she’s only 9 and has many years of breeding ahead of her. Her half sisters Khosi and Kami, on the other hand, are several years older and should be bred ASAP.
Such a shame Moose wasn't welcomed back, and I agree as well both Nisa and Kya have many years of breeding ahead of them and the priority of breeding should go to Gani, Ndula, Khosi and Kami
Most likely a temporary thing. They close off the gate between the two paddocks often for various reasons.
Well really any cow can be bred into her 40s as long as she is being consistently bred. Most captive cows aren’t bred very consistently which is why they aren’t able to conceive in their 40s, several years after their last calf. But if a cow is being bred consistently every 3-4 years, in most cases, she should be able to continue breeding past 40.
I feel like there is no major reason why Kaia wouldn’t be bred earlier on. They certainly have and will have the space once they renovate the habitat so there isn’t really a space issue. I hope they breed her as soon as possible so we don’t have to be anxious about her reproductive potential like we are with Khosi and Kami not breeding. That said, I do hope some of the older cows are bred and give birth prior to her doing so since that would give her a learning opportunity.
Yes, I know her age is completely fine and falls within normal reproductive years for elephants, but the reason behind me bringing that up was because she’s past the age of 25. There are some instances of cows breeding for the first time at a young age and then going 8-9 years before having their next calf but they are still under the age of 25 upon the birth of their second calf meaning they’d most likely be fertile no matter what. However, not only has it been many years since Swazi last calved, but she’s also very much over the age of 25 so her fertility is really up in the air at this point. The longer they wait to bring in a new bull, the more they’re risking it!
You cannot just wait for the if as it needs to be a now in order to not waste the reproductive potential of all the adult elephant cows be they experienced or nulliparous.