Giant Eland Left in North America

SusScrofa said:
A real shame Miami will be losing so many of its ungulate species. It was one of its biggest strengths, imo. It'll just end up becoming another generic city zoo.
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It is very unfortunate. Miami will likely still have a decent hoofstock collection compared to most zoos, but it will be a shell of its current and past collection. Hopefully the curator will bring some of the species with him to his new facility.

Great Argus said:
That's the direction AZA policies are pushing many zoos, the species that are uncommon or low in holders continue to be dumped as official programs...
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But @Great Argus is correct. With the changes to the SSP programs, very few of the existing hoofstock programs will continue to be official programs and will rely entirely on individual zoos/consortiums of zoos to maintain their populations. Unfortunately, many new higher-ups see the SSPs as the end-all-be-alls when it comes to collection planning, so we are very likely going to see more and more facilities drop species that are not official programs.
 
What is the International Animal Exchange? Would anyone be kind enough to shed some light on this?
 
JVM said:
What is the International Animal Exchange? Would anyone be kind enough to shed some light on this?
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International Animal Exchange | Safe Worldwide Animal Transportation

The International Animal Exchange is an animal transportation, acquisition, and consulting company that works at an international level. It's an animal dealing/moving company, essentially, that also runs two safari parks in northern Ohio. They're notoriously difficult to work with and are known to nickel and dime anyone that works with them.
 
Kudu21 said:
International Animal Exchange | Safe Worldwide Animal Transportation

The International Animal Exchange is an animal transportation, acquisition, and consulting company that works at an international level. It's an animal dealing/moving company, essentially, that also runs two safari parks in northern Ohio. They're notoriously difficult to work with and are known to nickel and dime anyone that works with them.
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Thank you, that is about what I assumed but my assumptions aren't always correct so I had to be certain. Have their activities affected any other species the way they seem to be affecting Giant Eland?
 
MonkeyBat said:
Giant eland are one of my favorite hoofstock, but as far as I know, more and more collections have phased them out. As of now, here are the only 3 collections I believe have giant elands

San Diego Zoo (only one individual?)
Sand Diego Safari Park
Zoo Miami

Does anyone know of any other facilities that hold this species? Moreover, does anyone know if these above will phase them out anytime soon?
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The Toronto zoo hosts at least two Giant Elands if I’m not mistaken
 
JVM said:
Thank you, that is about what I assumed but my assumptions aren't always correct so I had to be certain. Have their activities affected any other species the way they seem to be affecting Giant Eland?
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There were some other species that they facilitated the import of back in the day, but they are now all gone. The giant eland are the main animals they still hold a monopoly on. I believe there are some generic giraffe in the population also owned by them that they have not been compliant with breeding and transfer recommendations with.

Van Beal said:
The Toronto zoo hosts at least two Giant Elands if I’m not mistaken
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They do not — the animals they have are just common eland. The only giant eland on the continent are the aforementioned animals at Miami, African Safari Wildlife Park, and the two private facilities.
 
Kudu21 said:
There were some other species that they facilitated the import of back in the day, but they are now all gone. The giant eland are the main animals they still hold a monopoly on. I believe there are some generic giraffe in the population also owned by them that they have not been compliant with breeding and transfer recommendations with.


They do not — the animals they have are just common eland. The only giant eland on the continent are the aforementioned animals at Miami, African Safari Wildlife Park, and the two private facilities.
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I'm intrigued by the animals at the private facilities. Are they kept at ranches or at a more traditional private zoo?
Do they also originate from the IAE stock?
 
Nix said:
I'm intrigued by the animals at the private facilities. Are they kept at ranches or at a more traditional private zoo?
Do they also originate from the IAE stock?
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Neither are traditional private zoos nor ranches, per se. They are both private breeding facilities, but one is more of a pet project of its owner. All of the giant eland in North America *are* IAE stock -- they have maintained ownership of all of the animals.
 
Kudu21 said:
Neither are traditional private zoos nor ranches, per se. They are both private breeding facilities, but one is more of a pet project of its owner. All of the giant eland in North America *are* IAE stock -- they have maintained ownership of all of the animals.
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I assume maintaining ownership means they owned any offspring sired at outside institutions as well? It was a long time ago, but when I was a kid in the 80's and early 90's, it seemed like Cincinnati was having at least some degree of success producing them. Giant eland were a species that Maruska seemed particularly proud to have at the zoo. IIRC, there was a time when they had them both in the old Veldt (current Rhino Reserve) and in the old, pre-Wildlife Canyon hoofed stock yards that are the current Roo Valley (just threw up in my mouth a little, lol).

I talked to someone with knowledge of the zoo's management for that time period over a decade ago. He more or less insinuated that the zoo believed that there could be money made one way or the other from keeping and breeding giant eland, but this, in practice was not the case.

Sadly, even a majestic species like the giant eland is just another antelope to the general public. Zoo directors and zoo nerds see something amazing and fascinating. For many others, it's an exhibit they walk past on the way to another ABC species.
 
Haliaeetus said:
No way to replace the Common Elands (or another LC antelope) by the Giant Elands?
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Someone would have to devote a lot of resources in time and/or money to make it happen, and the will and money just isn't there for an animal that is visually similar to one that is (relatively) cheap and readily available.

There are companies that could probably get it done, but they are the same entities selling common eland and likely would rather transfer any interested buyer into that market.
 
Another way to help the Giant Elands is to fund national parks/reserves/sanctuaries that preserve the species in Africa (it's the case in France with Beauval that never held the species but that funds a conservation program in the Niokolo Koba NP in Senegal, where there are Giant Elands, but also other threatened and rare wildlife like the African Hunting Dogs, Lions, Cheetahs and Elephants).
Maybe some African zoos, if they exist (I think to the large South African zoos, but also to Abidjan Zoo and maybe other ones), should breed this species?
 
groundskeeper24 said:
I assume maintaining ownership means they owned any offspring sired at outside institutions as well? It was a long time ago, but when I was a kid in the 80's and early 90's, it seemed like Cincinnati was having at least some degree of success producing them. Giant eland were a species that Maruska seemed particularly proud to have at the zoo. IIRC, there was a time when they had them both in the old Veldt (current Rhino Reserve) and in the old, pre-Wildlife Canyon hoofed stock yards that are the current Roo Valley (just threw up in my mouth a little, lol).

I talked to someone with knowledge of the zoo's management for that time period over a decade ago. He more or less insinuated that the zoo believed that there could be money made one way or the other from keeping and breeding giant eland, but this, in practice was not the case.

Sadly, even a majestic species like the giant eland is just another antelope to the general public. Zoo directors and zoo nerds see something amazing and fascinating. For many others, it's an exhibit they walk past on the way to another ABC species.
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That is correct, yes. IAE has owned all the animals and their subsequent offspring — all of the animals at zoos were on loan. Attempts at negotiating the transfer of ownership of a portion of the population to some of the long-term holders did occur, but IAE never agreed to the terms.

I too have very fond memories of the herd at Cincinnati. They are a huge part of what drove me to pursue a career as a hoofstock keeper. I am very glad I got to see the last of the herd at San Diego when I did.
 
Kudu21 said:
That is correct, yes. IAE has owned all the animals and their subsequent offspring — all of the animals at zoos were on loan. Attempts at negotiating the transfer of ownership of a portion of the population to some of the long-term holders did occur, but IAE never agreed to the terms.

I too have very fond memories of the herd at Cincinnati. They are a huge part of what drove me to pursue a career as a hoofstock keeper. I am very glad I got to see the last of the herd at San Diego when I did.
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Interesting how times change. If someone would have told me 20 years ago that Cincinnati would build a new African complex and not include giant eland in it, I would not have believed them.
 
Haliaeetus said:
I think to the large South African zoos
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Unfortunately, there is no longer (legal) Giant Eland left in South Africa.
I know it doesn't necessarily apply to the thread's title but thought it could be of use: So here's a history of Giant Eland in South Africa.

The first Giant Eland to be imported into South Africa happened in 1978 when the National Zoo of South Africa (Pretoria) received a pair from Planckendael in Belgium.
In 1984 however, the 5-year-old bull died of Pneumonia. They had not been doing well at the zoo due to their difficulty adapting to the zoo's artificial diet.
Sometime in the period between 1984 and 1990, the zoo received more giant eland as a bull is shown in the 1990 yearbook, and a calf was born in 1996.
I do not know the origin of the animals acquired during this time. (Possibly the US?)
Pretoria kept Giant Eland until the early 2010s.

The Giant Eland that were kept at Johannesburg Zoo are in fact not related to the Pretoria animals in any way, as I previously thought.
Joburg received 5 animals (1.4) in 2001 from a ceased import from the Central African Republic done by Riccardo Ghiazza.
He did not have the proper paperwork for the import and the Giant Eland along with a herd of West African Roan were moved to the farm of John Humes (known for his work in breeding rhinos).
The Giant Eland were subsequently sent to Joburg where the male died of Bone Marrow Disease in 2005.
The remaining females slowly died out over time until the last female passed away sometime between 2017 and 2018.
It's worth noting the zoo did not own the Giant Eland for many years.
They were sold to Jacques Malan and Cyril Ramaphosa (the latter being our current president) of the Lumarie Game Farm in 2011 but remained at the zoo.

There is an article stating that someone was trying to import them in 2014 but I could find no follow-up.
With how sought-after Giant Eland are in the game trade and the previous attempts at importing them, I would consider the possibility that there are animals in South Africa (legally or not).
 
According to ZIMS (and some pictures from the Zoochat gallery) Al Bustan Zoological centre in the UAE holds a herd of Giant Eland. 1 male and 5 females with successful breeding. Looking at the pedigree of those animals, they seem to have been transferred from White Oak Conservation centre.
I wish there was an established population of this threatened species in Europe. They are so much more beautiful than the common eland. Hopefully in the future, if the breeding at Al Bustan goes well and they manage to import more animals from Africa (oil money buys everything they say...).
 
OkapiJohn said:
According to ZIMS (and some pictures from the Zoochat gallery) Al Bustan Zoological centre in the UAE holds a herd of Giant Eland. 1 male and 5 females with successful breeding. Looking at the pedigree of those animals, they seem to have been transferred from White Oak Conservation centre.
I wish there was an established population of this threatened species in Europe. They are so much more beautiful than the common eland. Hopefully in the future, if the breeding at Al Bustan goes well and they manage to import more animals from Africa (oil money buys everything they say...).
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I would not hold my breath. Al Bustan likes having animals, particularly rare and beautiful animals. They do not so much care for sharing their animals or working cooperatively once their animals have been acquired. They also bought okapi off of White Oak, and their group is now several generations inbred.. They have had no intent on moving any of their animals and other facilities are no longer inclined to work with them. Any animals at Al Bustan are not likely to ever leave Al Bustan — let alone for other regions.
 
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