African Elephants in Europe 2023
- Thread starter Hyak_II
- Start date
Any update on how she is doing?
Pol_Bllf
Member
Apparently Heri seems to be doing better, according to the zoo she is eating and moving a lot and the fever she had developed has gone down.
But she did not evacuate the calf. Still depending on the zoo there could be three points for the future: either the calf is expelled in individual parts which the zoo does not want because of the high risk of infection, or it comes out in its entirety or in the third In this case, the amniotic fluid is evacuated and the calf is mummified in the mother's womb.
In this last case Heri will no longer be able to have a calf but given her age and these two unsuccessful pregnancies the zoo did not want to breed her again.
Basler Elefantenkuh geht es besser – Das tote Kalb könnte für immer in Heris Bauch bleiben
It seems that the elephants at Basel Zoo are definitely in a dead end...
Very sad news that the pregnancy was ultimately unsuccessful, but not particularly surprising once again given her age and reproductive history. It’s fortunate that she seems to be recovering well enough, and regardless of what the end call is with her fetuses, hopefully she will continue to live a long and otherwise healthy life.
Also fortunately, I would say it’s hardly a dead end for Basel. Given the fact that there are multiple holders for post reproductive cows that are not yet at capacity, and Europe’s African population is currently experiencing excellent reproductive success, I would say that they’re excellent odds that, if they so desired, they would be able to source breeding cows in the future. Cabarceno, Wuppertal, and Beekse Bergen are all well set up to create splinter groups of cows for transfer to other holders.
Also fortunately, I would say it’s hardly a dead end for Basel. Given the fact that there are multiple holders for post reproductive cows that are not yet at capacity, and Europe’s African population is currently experiencing excellent reproductive success, I would say that they’re excellent odds that, if they so desired, they would be able to source breeding cows in the future. Cabarceno, Wuppertal, and Beekse Bergen are all well set up to create splinter groups of cows for transfer to other holders.
Basel Zoo has been 20 years late in getting any of their current cow herd to breed naturally. The zoo wasted years with retaining underage either non-mature, non-breeding or behaviorally unsuitable bulls with their cows (the youngest 2 Rosy and Maya were both born 1994/95).
Their senior cow Heri had a first calf also decades before (2004 at 24, the calf sired when already 22 which is beyond the reasonable window of opportunity given age at first conception and succesful breeding) and that did not go down well, it is alas hardly surprising that this time round the end game does not look good. I do hope cow Heri will come out on top, but have not high hopes she will expel the dead foetus in her womb nor long term health implications for a resorbed calf.
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