North American Asian Elephant Population 2025

Thomas said:
I read somewhere that Phoenix Zoo might plan to switch to housing African Elephants as they are suited to the Desert Climate, maybe a habitat based on the Elephants of West Africa and Namib Desert?
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I know for a fact that Phoenix Zoo is not having any plans to have elephants after Indu passes. And no plans that Indu is to be moved that I am aware of. They are moving to rhinos. Indu is already sharing a barn and habitat with the rhinos.
 
The Horse Boy said:
I knew that enclosure was not really adequate for Asian by today's standards of elephant husbandry. I guess their expansion did not say much.
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It was originally three Asian cows. Indu, Sheena and Reba. They were full contact until Reba attacked the (former) elephant manager so they went to FC. The exhibit is not that bad for an old elephant cow group. They already have divided it up for the rhinos.
 
ZCChip said:
I know for a fact that Phoenix Zoo is not having any plans to have elephants after Indu passes. And no plans that Indu is to be moved that I am aware of. They are moving to rhinos. Indu is already sharing a barn and habitat with the rhinos.
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Incidentally, Indu just passed on. And Phoenix wrote a genuinely moving tribute to her.

Phoenix Zoo on Instagram: "The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo family is saddened to share the passing of 59-year-old female Asian elephant, Indu. Indu was a truly remarkable elephant who touched the hearts of everyone who had the privilege to know her. Her gentle spirit, intelligence and resilience inspired not only our staff but also the millions of guests who visited her over the years. Her legacy will live on through the stories we share, the connections she helped people form with wildlife and our continued commitment to the highest standards of animal care. She will be profoundly missed. Indu was undergoing treatment for chronic osteoarthritis and age-related illness. Her care team had been managing her conditions with daily medication as well as treatments such as hydrotherapy, laser therapy and physical therapy. Recently it had become more challenging to manage her discomfort, and her mobility had been declining. With her increasing physical limitations, Zoo veterinarians and keeper staff recognized her regressing health and made the very difficult decision to humanely euthanize her on Thursday, May 8. We mourn the loss of Indu but take solace in the immense impact she had on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. We will honor her memory by continuing to advocate for the protection of her wild counterparts and supporting conservation efforts including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Asian Elephant SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program to ensure a brighter future for elephants everywhere. On top of mourning the loss of Indu, it is unfortunate we are now having to refute the words of misguided outside organizations. While their primary focus has been on continuing to share false and misleading information to further an agenda, our primary focus has been on Indu’s wellbeing and comfort. We hope you were not affected by these slanderous and inappropriate statements. These words were not only hurtful, but entirely false. She passed peacefully in the comfort of familiar surroundings, encircled by those who loved her most, her dedicated care team. Indu – you will forever remain in our hearts."
 
StoppableSan said:
Incidentally, Indu just passed on. And Phoenix wrote a genuinely moving tribute to her.

Phoenix Zoo on Instagram: "The Arizona Center for Nature Conservation/Phoenix Zoo family is saddened to share the passing of 59-year-old female Asian elephant, Indu. Indu was a truly remarkable elephant who touched the hearts of everyone who had the privilege to know her. Her gentle spirit, intelligence and resilience inspired not only our staff but also the millions of guests who visited her over the years. Her legacy will live on through the stories we share, the connections she helped people form with wildlife and our continued commitment to the highest standards of animal care. She will be profoundly missed. Indu was undergoing treatment for chronic osteoarthritis and age-related illness. Her care team had been managing her conditions with daily medication as well as treatments such as hydrotherapy, laser therapy and physical therapy. Recently it had become more challenging to manage her discomfort, and her mobility had been declining. With her increasing physical limitations, Zoo veterinarians and keeper staff recognized her regressing health and made the very difficult decision to humanely euthanize her on Thursday, May 8. We mourn the loss of Indu but take solace in the immense impact she had on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her. We will honor her memory by continuing to advocate for the protection of her wild counterparts and supporting conservation efforts including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Asian Elephant SAFE (Saving Animals From Extinction) program to ensure a brighter future for elephants everywhere. On top of mourning the loss of Indu, it is unfortunate we are now having to refute the words of misguided outside organizations. While their primary focus has been on continuing to share false and misleading information to further an agenda, our primary focus has been on Indu’s wellbeing and comfort. We hope you were not affected by these slanderous and inappropriate statements. These words were not only hurtful, but entirely false. She passed peacefully in the comfort of familiar surroundings, encircled by those who loved her most, her dedicated care team. Indu – you will forever remain in our hearts."
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such sad news. I wasn’t told but again this happened today. I am so sorry to the caretakers. I know the manager really loved her.
 
ZCChip said:
both rhinos are bulls. The older one is Chutti. I am not sure who the other is named. I am not aware of any breeding plans. Maybe there is more info in one of the rhino threads. They look like Indian rhinos.
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I meant for elephants lol. I do know bull/cow/calf apply to rhinos too
 
ZCChip said:
Oh no breeding! Indu did have a few calves at Houston Zoo but none lived. I think the longest was a female calf for under two years. Many stillborns. The other two were Ringling retired elephants.
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Indu had stillborn calves in 1984, 1991, 1993 and 1995; with the 1984 stillbirth coming just 20 months after the birth of the previous calf.

She had a daughter named Shani in 1983, who died at five weeks of age. The cause of death was attributed to her intolerance of bottle feed formula, implying she was rejected/handraised. It was her first calf.

She also had a daughter named Pearl in 1988, who died in her third year of EEHV.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Indu had stillborn calves in 1984, 1991, 1993 and 1995; with the 1984 stillbirth coming just 20 months after the birth of the previous calf.

She had a daughter named Shani in 1983, who died at five weeks of age. The cause of death was attributed to her intolerance of bottle feed formula, implying she was rejected/handraised. It was her first calf.

She also had a daughter named Pearl in 1988, who died in her third year of EEHV.
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that’s right. I was wrong about the age of Pearl. My brain was tired and still is! I remember they shipped Pearl to Chicago Zoo and she died there. No idea if Indu raised her. Thanks.
 
ZCChip said:
that’s right. I was wrong about the age of Pearl. My brain was tired and still is! I remember they shipped Pearl to Chicago Zoo and she died there. No idea if Indu raised her. Thanks.
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She was three months short of her third birthday.

I found this in the Chicago Tribune:

Lincoln Park Zoo officials are still puzzled over the death of Pearl, a 2-year-old elephant that died Monday, possibly from eating acorns or oak leaves from trees in her outdoor area. ”The autopsy won`t be completed for another two to five days, but oak poisoning remains a strong suspect,” said Dr. Lester Fisher, zoo director.

I recall the National Zoo once stating that Shanthi’s first calf Kumari (1993) ‘died of a then unknown virus in 1995’. It’s hard to imagine these days when as soon as the death of a young elephant is reported, the first thing our minds jump to is EEHV.
 
ZCChip said:
that’s right. I was wrong about the age of Pearl. My brain was tired and still is! I remember they shipped Pearl to Chicago Zoo and she died there. No idea if Indu raised her. Thanks.
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The intention of the move was to introduce her to Bozie and her young daughter, Shanti, who had been born at Lincoln Park the year prior. Shanti was later sent across to Houston once Lincoln Park phased out their Asians and is one of their two current breeding cows.

Interestingly, Lincoln Park also had an African cow at the time (Binti). So the theory of EEHV being spread in some cases across the sub species may have some substance in this case - Pearl passed only five months after her arrival.
 
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Frankie_number_1_fan said:
Phoenix has no current plans to bring them back. The current higherups scrapped those plans.
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I think that is wise decision.

The obituary for the passing of Indu was both moving, fitting and measured - while also admirably effective in dealing without specifically naming the guilty parties with the slanderous and inaccurate reporting over Indu over the final years - that Indu's care and end of life husbandry was both exemplary and our heartfelt respects go out to her primary carers - zoo keepers and other animal management staff alike. You did a great job. Plus cow Indu reached a very respectable age for an elderly Asiatic elephant at 59 years of age. Period!
 
BigTusker15 said:
Sad news to hear, but I do see Phoenix eventually holding elephants again, but not until the distant future. Wasn't she one of the oldest in the U.S.?
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This is an interview with Dr. Gary West, Senior VP of Animal Health/Living Collections at Phoenix Zoo I read a while back, with a particularly relevant passage.

GILGER: So, you will discontinue the elephant exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo at some point there?

WEST: The current one, yes. You know, we haven't had a lot of internal discussions about what the future holds, but, you know, we've had some high-level discussions, if we got back into elephants down the road, you know, African elephants probably would be a better fit for the desert and for our climate, but it would take a huge investment. And we'd have to look at space and where that would be at the zoo or on the property of the zoo. So, that's just been sort of a pie-in-the-sky discussion, but there really isn't any plans for elephants right now.

https://www.kjzz.org/the-show/2025-...enix-zoo-will-end-its-exhibit-after-indu-dies
 
StoppableSan said:
This is an interview with Dr. Gary West, Senior VP of Animal Health/Living Collections at Phoenix Zoo I read a while back, with a particularly relevant passage.

GILGER: So, you will discontinue the elephant exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo at some point there?

WEST: The current one, yes. You know, we haven't had a lot of internal discussions about what the future holds, but, you know, we've had some high-level discussions, if we got back into elephants down the road, you know, African elephants probably would be a better fit for the desert and for our climate, but it would take a huge investment. And we'd have to look at space and where that would be at the zoo or on the property of the zoo. So, that's just been sort of a pie-in-the-sky discussion, but there really isn't any plans for elephants right now.

As many zoo elephants are sent to sanctuaries, Phoenix Zoo will end its exhibit after Indu dies
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That's the one I was explaining.
 
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