Chester Zoo Elephant Birth at Chester!

Paix

Paix

Well-Known Member
Breaking News! Asian Elephant Sithami gave birth to her calf last night! Qoute from Chesters facebook page:

"Chester Zoo is delighted to announce that Asian Elephant Sithami gave birth to a calf at Chester Zoo just before midnight last night.

Both mum and calf – whose sex is unknown – are doing well.

It is the second calf for Sithami, 13, who is also mum to Sundara, six.

Proud dad is Upali, 16.

Stephanie Sanderson, Head of Conservation Medicine, said the zoo was pleased with the news.

She said: “Mum and calf are doing very well and we are very excited to see the new arrival. Our visitors will be able to see mum and baby later today but in the meantime the new calf is being looked after by mum, sister Sundara and her grandmother Thi.”

Pictures of Chester Zoo’s latest arrival will be online later today."

Here is the link:

Chester Zoo: Elephant bith at Chester Zoo! | Facebook

EDIT: I have also just found the News item on Chesters website:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/chester-zoo/elephant-bith-at-chester-zoo/416003674429
 
The youngster is a boy, and I will see him on Wednesday morning at opening time :D
 
Just returned from zoo and was all set to break the news but was beaten to it! House was closed and Sithami was indoors with the rest of the female's so didn't get to see the little guy today but apparently he is doing well. Congrats to all at Chester (including Upali and Sithami!) on his safe arrival. Hope he will have a freind to play with in the not too distant future. :D
 
haz_cat said:
The youngster is a boy
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Shame - Chester Syndrome strikes again. Is there testosterone in the water supply or something? Still - not quite at the level of the run of 9 consecutive male giraffes they had...
 
Nisha said:
Just returned from zoo and was all set to break the news but was beaten to it! House was closed and Sithami was indoors with the rest of the female's so didn't get to see the little guy today but apparently he is doing well. Congrats to all at Chester (including Upali and Sithami!) on his safe arrival. Hope he will have a freind to play with in the not too distant future. :D
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Sorry Nisha, I just could resist posting it!
 
Maguari said:
Shame - Chester Syndrome strikes again. Is there testosterone in the water supply or something? Still - not quite at the level of the run of 9 consecutive male giraffes they had...
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Is it really so bad that it's a male? I mean, I'm guessing that there is an imbalance from the way everybody is disappointed that it is a boy, but it is surely better than nothing? In my opinion, this birth is still good news, it just could have been better news. I could be wrong though.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Is it really so bad that it's a male? I mean, I'm guessing that there is an imbalance from the way everybody is disappointed that it is a boy, but it is surely better than nothing? In my opinion, this birth is still good news, it just could have been better news. I could be wrong though.
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The problem is that there is only limited holding space for males in Europe. It's not a bad thing in itself that the calf has been born, but it's probably bad news (or at least less good news) that it turned out male. The birth is all good, and keeps the herd ticking over. Here's hoping the other calf's a cow, though! :D
 
Maguari said:
The problem is that there is only limited holding space for males in Europe. It's not a bad thing in itself that the calf has been born, but it's probably bad news (or at least less good news) that it turned out male. The birth is all good, and keeps the herd ticking over. Here's hoping the other calf's a cow, though! :D
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Keeping everything crossed. On a side note, is Upali Chester's only male and the father of both calves? I know he is the established 'mature breeding' male, I just wondered if there were any juvenille males still at the zoo.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Keeping everything crossed. On a side note, is Upali Chester's only male and the father of both calves? I know he is the established 'mature breeding' male, I just wondered if there were any juvenille males still at the zoo.
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No, Upali is the only male currently at the zoo and is the father of both calfs. This calf makes 2.6.0 I believe. Lets hope the next one makes it 2.7.0!

EDIT: The last juvenile male at the zoo was Tunga and he left not long ago. If my source of information is correct, he was born on the 10th October 2004 and was relocated to Bellawaerde Park in Belgium on the 21st April 2010.
 
Paix said:
EDIT: The last juvenile male at the zoo was Tunga and he left not long ago. If my source of information is correct, he was born on 10th October 2004 and was relocated to Bellawaerde Park in Belgium in late April 2010. If my source is correct.
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Your correct about Tunga leaving in April 2010. In three or four years time he will be relocated to another European zoo and I wouldn't be suprised if the lastest calf followed in Tunga's footsteps and took his place at Bellewaerde.
 
Paix said:
No, Upali is the only male currently at the zoo and is the father of both calfs. This calf makes 2.6.0 I believe. Lets hope the next one makes it 2.7.0!

EDIT: The last juvenile male at the zoo was Tunga and he left not long ago. If my source of information is correct, he was born on the 10th October 2004 and was relocated to Bellawaerde Park in Belgium on the 21st April 2010.
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Ahh right. I wondered how plausible it would be for the two calves to be unrelated, but obviously not very (I remember reading that one of the elephants at Chester got pregnant way before maturity, so wondered if a bull could perform likewise). I don't know any family trees of the eles, but guessing Tunga was related to Upali anyway and would have been too young if he wasn't?
 
Excellent news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Although nowhere near the day I thought she was going to give birth (this coming Friday). Never mind.
 
Javan Rhino said:
Ahh right. I wondered how plausible it would be for the two calves to be unrelated, but obviously not very (I remember reading that one of the elephants at Chester got pregnant way before maturity, so wondered if a bull could perform likewise). I don't know any family trees of the eles, but guessing Tunga was related to Upali anyway and would have been too young if he wasn't?
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Neither do I, I use the site below, it holds ALOT of information:

Elephants Encyclopedia - facts and information about elephants since 1995 - Check it out! Find the individual elephants etc.
 
Javan Rhino said:
I don't know any family trees of the eles, but guessing Tunga was related to Upali anyway and would have been too young if he wasn't?
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Tunga is not related to Upali. Tunga's dad is the former bull Chang who fathered Sithami and Sundara, and a multitude of others, mainly bulls who are no longer at Chester.
 
Paulkarli08 said:
Tunga is not related to Upali. Tunga's dad is the former bull Chang who fathered Sithami and Sundara, and a multitude of others, mainly bulls who are no longer at Chester.
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Isnt this where the inbreeding comes in? Where Chang and Sithami produced Sundara?
 
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