Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens The Elephant will be leaving.

[JaxElephant]

Sanford elephant will move to Miami zoo - OrlandoSentinel.com

SANFORD — Maude, the Asian elephant at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, will be moving this month to Zoo Miami, where she'll join a herd.

It was a difficult decision to make to move Maude, zoo officials said. The elephant had been with them for three decades. Ultimately, officials say, it was in Maude's best interest to move her to Miami.

"We have every reason to believe Maude will enjoy her new home at Zoo Miami and the companionship of their two elephants," said Bonnie Breitbeil, director of Animal Collections, in a news release.

Maude's pachyderm companion, Mary, died in March. Maude, who had moved to Sanford from Tampa's Busch Gardens, was about 10 years old when she met Mary. Because elephants travel in herds in the wild, zoos need to have at least two of them.

Zoo officials are planning a big send-off celebration from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20. Activities will include a bounce house, elephant-conservation booth and a cake big enough for Maude and some of her guests to enjoy.

 

[Sun Wukong]

Two makes a herd? Interesting...

 

[Dallaspachyderm]

This is good for the Miami elephants too! Now the Miami female will have a female companion.

 

[Steve Robinson]

Two makes a herd? Interesting...

In the old days, circuses used to advertise "herds of elephants".

Noted trainer, William Woodcock was asked how many constitutes a "herd"?

His reply, tongue firmly planted in cheek - "anything more than one!".

 

[deanmo19]

You know, I sure hope they're going to convert the former elephant exhibit for an exhibit for Indian rhinos or Nile hippos (complete with an underwater viewing area).

 

[Arizona Docent]

Article says zoos must have at least two, but I thought the new AZA guidelines are a minimum of three?

 

[snowleopard]

Article says zoos must have at least two, but I thought the new AZA guidelines are a minimum of three?

I was thinking the same thing. If I'm not mistaken sometime around 1998 AZA began recommending that zoos keep a minimum of 2 elephants, and then around 2005 (approximately) there was a recommendation that gained momentum to encourage all zoos to keep a minimum of 3 elephants. More and more zoos have been phasing out 1-2 elephants, and it is interesting that fewer American zoos have been keeping elephants but those pachyderms that remain are in larger enclosures and larger herds.

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I was thinking the same thing. If I'm not mistaken sometime around 1998 AZA began recommending that zoos keep a minimum of 2 elephants, and then around 2005 (approximately) there was a recommendation that gained momentum to encourage all zoos to keep a minimum of 3 elephants. More and more zoos have been phasing out 1-2 elephants, and it is interesting that fewer American zoos have been keeping elephants but those pachyderms that remain are in larger enclosures and larger herds.

One should realise this applies to individuals that are able to be integrated into a herd situation. I assume/suspect that for these 2 long lived and basically in a pair situation this does not apply. We experience the same issues in Europe with elderly elephants that stem from prior to any serious application into a breeding herd and breeding programme sit. There is also something like individual temperament and character to consider in elephant herd integration or with others of their species ...