Thank you for the update. I was not 100% sure, but I knew they did in the past.
North American Asian Elephant Population 2025
- Thread starter E Maximus
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Thank you for the update. I was not 100% sure, but I knew they did in the past.
Mature, not sexually mature. He is already sexually mature - hence his son.
Its all the rich diet and better care in captivity that makes them mature faster. Plus, in the wild, older bulls would prevent them from mating.
In the natural order of things in the natural range states an 11 year old - correction 9-year old is not a territory holding and sexually active and reproducing bull... By all natural orders, your Bowie would never be accepted by the mature cows 12-15 to 35-40 age range as he is a pubescent adolescent and even the mature bulls would give him the run around ... (bulls get pissed off by younger bulls not half their age and maturity getting in their way ...).
True - but it is not a correct term to call Bowie not yet 'sexually mature'. When in fact he is.
A better way to put it would be to say whilst he is sexually mature, he isn't yet at 'prime reproductive capacity', which is usually achieved by bulls once they reach full maturity in their 20's.
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
Although Kandula has seen countless breeding of his past 10 years at OKC, I feel the reason he hasn't directly bred any of the cows there is cause he hasn't witnessed any natural mating behavior when during calf hood at smithsonian
Yes, ... just I would say that age is only reached at ... say around 28-35 years of age. So, Mr. Bowie ... even though he precociously sired a calf ..., is not by a long shot a bull that would do so in the wilds...
If so, ... why is he still maintained at OKC with a breeding herd?
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
They might be having a hard time finding other facilities for him to go to when Bowie's starting to become a successful pap
I would not term it that ... by a long shot and it is nigh on disrespectful towards zoo keeping staff and the curatorial management up to directorships.
Looking a bit at Kandula's story it very much seems things are kind of very complex and I really know too little about the local politics nor AZA involvement/force to make any kind of formal judgement ..., nor should anyone else. I honestly do think OKC Zoo is doing a good job at breeding Asiatic elephants ...
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
I think every bull both in the wild and captivity is different with the initial age they inseminate cows akin to every human is different with the first age they get a boyfriend or girlfriend. I think it all depends on their their fonfidence level based on the amount of guidance bulls have been taught.
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In other news, water is wet.
Frankie_number_1_fan
Well-Known Member
It's likely a combination of factors.
There aren't really any breeding facilities that really need a new bull at the moment outside of what is currently planned, and Kandula's genetic value is really up in the air depending on how you look at it.
He is also a companion to Bowie who, at 10 years old, absolutely needs the company and mentorship of another bull. He and Kandula enjoy each others' company and are very well integrated, even being able to share a yard with the cow group.
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
So it's definitely no biggie if Kandula doesn't breed cows there. But as it has been said here, the number of much more competent breeding bulls in US zoo Asian population seemingly outnumber the Africans. Thus there is no big push w bull transfers and swaps eith the former.
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The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
The bull in question who would be moved soon would be Kandula as he's a behavioral non breeder.
Frankie_number_1_fan
Well-Known Member
Where are you getting that he's a behavioral nonbreeder? Did I miss something that revealed this?
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
I already said earlier today that's it's because he did witness any natural breeding manuvers from mature bulls at his hometown in case you didn't see.
...that's just an assumption. Whatever the reason, it ain't clogging up yet another thread.
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
I have read some of smithsonian's elephant history to clarify. I saw kandula was ai born. This webpage will prove it if y'all are skeptical
Kandula at Oklahoma City Zoo in United States - Elephant Encyclopedia and Database