The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
Is halle renovating the elephant facility? I thought it was a nice newer facility built in 2006
African Elephants in Europe 2025
- Thread starter Elephant Enthusiast
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It’s newer, but honestly quite an underwhelming facility. The bull “yard” is entirely inadequate, and truthfully more of a hallway than anything else. The indoor house and main yard are both fine, but neither are particularly exceptional. Especially if they do end up intending to stick with Tana and her daughters, they will absolutely need more space as the two younger cows start to breed as well.
Noah's Ark here in the UK hold, as far as I know, the only bachelor herd of Africans in the UK.
The UK could do with getting another holder of African elephants whether that be another bachelor herd or non-breeding females that currently live alone
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
Maybe colchester could do that, or I could also see facilities like longleat blair drummond or knowledge building bachelor facilities.
Noah's Ark only have the three(?) bulls- or is it only two now?- and I think they could probably accomodate rather more than that. It seems only three places have sent males there since the facility first opened- they have modern state of the art housing and an enormous paddock space.
cerperal
Well-Known Member
They have 4, with 1 being an older male that serves as the 'role model', which is what they deem to be capacity that ensures the best welfare for the elephants. Elephants take time to mature, within a few years I would imagine they will start to move to other collections for breeding.
Yes I forgot Sutton from West Midlands SP. I didn't realise that is pretty much full up for them but I know they have very good facilities there.
A bachelor group would be a much better idea than trying to get a new breeding group...
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
That might be a better plan. Amneville warsaw ponzan peaugres fasano barcelona planete sauvage fuerteventura dvur kravloe and knuthenborg could also all work as great African bachelor holders in Europe. That way the number of African bull facilities catch up with the exploding number of Asians
I am glad Zoo Basel finally sees sense and made the difficult decision to part with a non-breeding elephant group and send both remaining cows Rosy and Maya to a suitable elderly post-reproductive cow elephants facility.
I don't know about Basel's situation and thinking, but I guess the main problem is to find someone who can take in the old elephants. To me it sounds like they have someone for two but not for three elephants, which is why they can get a new group now. What I like is that they start fully anew and don't try a patchwork family by adding a small matriline to their existing elephants.
I fully agree and this is exactly what I meant with my earlier post, but did not care yet to elaborate upon!
I know the Species Coördinator from the EEP/EAZA African Elephant program has been pushing zoos hard now to deliver. I am quite confident that some zoos are in the network that have decided to adopt the strategy of non breeding and post-reproductive cow elephants and bachelor herds to enable other zoos to fully focus on breeding Africans (this is more imperative now since Africans ... in a bizarre twist ... are not doing as well as the Asiatic elephant EEP).
So, the BEST NEWS really is that another - as yet unbeknownest to us - facility has been found and prepared to take on both non-breeding cows Rosy and Maya now! Kudos on them and .... Time for Zoo Basel to turn the page and start a matriline of their own now. By Jove, do they deserve one as the zoo has taken so many steps to get there, build a new innovative elephant complex fit for purpose of breeding and with all mod con facilities for both breeding cows and bulls!
I disagree that Basle ‚deserves‘ a breeding group of elephants. Yes they built a new facility, but this new facility is far from being world-class, but mediocre at best. And I am really angry with Basle for letting Maya and Rosy become non-breeders. First they went to great lengths to import these 2 into a cramped old barn, only to delay plans for a new facility so much that by the time a breeding bull arrived, both females were too old for breeding. The least they should have done is getting Rosy and Maya pregnant by AI to prevent them from becoming nonbreeders. Basle now deserves to be stuck with old females or a bachelor group for the next decades! But I guess this is not going to happen, their mismanagement will be rewarded with a breeding group. Urgs.
I get your point ...! And you are allowed to disagree with me ..., I just am inclined to be content that Zoo Basel finally made some good on what has been more or less 2 decades of stalling and ill-informed management decisions. Alas, for all the cows they currently have and those passed away that were part of the previous failed breeding project ..., this new initiative comes way too late.
BTW: quite a few elephants they brought in at the time were already in twilight years and I am myself not so much a believer to rely on AI ... (as quite a few institutions do and not let nature takes its fine course at its own speed and rate).
nature takes its fine course at its own speed and rate
Will mean the presence of an well developed breeding herd, plenty choice of breeding capable bulls, as well as young bulls who has to train their skills, besides the free choice of ane elephant to avoid any contact.
so we will see
I somewhat understand your thinking, am no fan of AI though, this should not be the standard for zoos. However it's tough to judge on the past. Basel by far is not alone with having non breeding imported cows and EEP is also having its impact. Today you need to make the best out of the present situation though. My initial thought rather was "I hope that Heri really had the reported story and did not suddenly turn sick when the zoo had the chance to only trade two away in exchange for getting into a breeding situation..."
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
I just discovered that when Tierpark Berlin supposedly will open their new elephant facility next year, the new herd they'll elect to bring in will be the Halle matriline. I'm not sure if it's true, but if it is, does that mean Halle will phase out elephants or replace that family with a new herd?
The building is not scheduled to open until 2026. The drawing depicts Asian elephants; however, it is likely that African savanna elephants will move in, namely the entire herd currently located at Halle Zoo .
The building is not scheduled to open until 2026. The drawing depicts Asian elephants; however, it is likely that African savanna elephants will move in, namely the entire herd currently located at Halle Zoo .
Ryley
Well-Known Member
I believe Halle have plans to renovate their facility for the herd to then later return.
The Horse Boy
Well-Known Member
Do they plan to extend the outdoor habitat and renovate the barn flooring with afding layers of sand? Their habitat admittedly looks unimpressive with it being very undersized for a family herd. Magdeburg, Opel, and Erfurt have way way bigger African facilities to manage breeding groups.