I feel as though this post is a little misleading. Unless I am missing it I do not see where the zoo has announced they are not bringing back elephants. The only thing I see in the article is they will announce their plans next year.
Correct, no where in the article does it state they are permanently leaving.
I went to Oakland earlier this year, and there were signs stating that "we see this as a pivotal moment to reaffirm the zoo's commitment to elephants even without them living on site." So basically, they're phasing out elephants at the very least for the forseeable future.
This is essentially the blanket statement for most facilities that have phased out their current elephants and haven't quite decided what route to take yet. Considering the exhibit would need some decent rennovations, it would likely be half a decade or more before they could receive new animals.
That would indeed be the one from DAK, he was born there on 6/28/2008.
Agreed! While another bull of greater genetic value would've been nice, we need to see bull transfers like this one (especially for unproven males). The African SSP is in dire need of more naturally breeding males (considering that there are only six currently) and DAK's young bulls will almost surely be breeding powerhouses considering the enviornment they've grown up in. It is lovely to see Reid Park being so proactive with bringing in a new bull now that Mabu is officially no longer an option for them. This sets them quite nicely for calves to be born close together for what could be the forseeable future!
Hopefully it is Jabali, as he is the most valuable of the two.
DAK is truly leading the pack when it comes to what will be the future of breeding facilities. Two bulls onsite to breed, a fully integrated multi-generational herd, and the capacity to hold a bachelor herd alongside the breeding herd.
