Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park News 2014

I just want to add that I have worked with the director of Longleat`s animal collection and know him pretty well, he is also a highly respected vet and I know he would not readily euthanase any healthy animal.
I think in this case the animals were suffering from injuries and conditions that left him little choice, yes it is true to say that they were also possibly "surplus to requirements" but that is a side-issue , it is not really a strong enough reason, on its own, to euthanase an animal I believe.
 
Inbreeding ? Health problems ? After reading this I was wondering if we can read in a few years the same articles about Sumatran rhinos which have to be put down because of inbreeding health problems ???
I guess it has to do with the rarety of the animal(s) involved and I thinks zoos have to look very clearly and closely about population control because otherwise they will loose their believibility ( is that a correct english wort ? )
 
vogelcommando said:
Inbreeding ? Health problems ? After reading this I was wondering if we can read in a few years the same articles about Sumatran rhinos which have to be put down because of inbreeding health problems ???
I guess it has to do with the rarety of the animal(s) involved and I thinks zoos have to look very clearly and closely about population control because otherwise they will loose their believibility ( is that a correct english wort ? )
Click to expand...
credibility is the word you were after :)
 
vogelcommando said:
But believivility sounds also quite nice IMO ?! ;)
Click to expand...
Believability is a real word, but in the context I think credibility was the more correct choice. I do agree believability has a nice sound to it. Credibility sounds quite hard whereas believability has a soft rounded sound.
 
Work on the elephant sanctuary is finally due to start later this month: Press release just issued by Longleat

Work To Start On 1.2m Haven For Anne The Elephant - Longleat Safari Park & Adventure Park

Longleat Safari & Adventure Park is to start work on a major new purpose-built haven for Anne the elephant.

It will include a 994-square-metre heated accommodation area with deep sand floors, natural sky light panels, automated feeding systems and a specialist treatment area.

An extensive 3.9 acre outdoor space will feature a large grassy paddock, rocks, log piles, a giant browse frame, sand pits and use of a water pool all year round.

The new £1.2m facility will offer a permanent home for Anne, Britain’s last circus elephant, who has been cared for at Longleat since April 2011.

Since arriving at Longleat, Anne has been under the full-time care of three highly-experienced keepers and has received specialised veterinary care, osteopathy and ongoing medical treatment.

Following the launch of a public campaign, Longleat has received a significant level of support to the development of Anne’s new haven. Additionally Longleat plans to personally invest £50,000 a year for the next five years to develop and support international programmes with a focus on improving the welfare of captive and working elephants around the world.

To ensure the new refuge met the highest of standards, Longleat arranged a two-day seminar which was attended by elephant advisors, veterinarians, leading sanctuary experts and individuals from animal welfare groups from around the world.

They concluded Longleat provided the best possible option for the sixty-year-old elephant to live out the remainder of her life.

Longleat’s Director of Animal Operations, Jon Cracknell, said: “Anne’s remarkable improvement in both health and overall physical condition is due to the environment and care she has received since arriving.

“The aim of the seminar was to ensure we undertook a full and frank assessment of what was best for Anne. This new development will provide her with the very best facilities to live out the rest of her life in comfort.

“We’re pleased to have got such widespread backing for the new facility and we are aiming to begin work in the next few weeks,” he added.

Having consulted with leading industry experts at the seminar it was concluded that it was in the best interest of Anne’s health due to her age for her not to have a companion. Concerns were expressed that mixing her with other unfamiliar, new elephants could be detrimental to her health and wellbeing.

If a situation did arise where an elephant needed rescuing and rehabilitating, Longleat would be open to cases on an individual basis. An assessment would take place with external parties to ensure the correct decisions were made in Anne’s best interest.

The seminar also concluded that it would not be suitable to site a larger elephant sanctuary at Longleat and alternative locations in warmer climates would need to be investigated.
 
Strange they have decided to build this just for the single Elephant, with no plans to provide her with company. My guess is they have been advised that since she's been living alone some years now, plus her age, adding another Elephant(s), should they prove incompatible, would stress her badly and they wouldn't then have the facilities for them to live seperately in the single outside area, so they are not going to take the risk. It rather condemns her to a solitary life permanently without even trying to see if other elephant company would work for her. However 'trial and error' is perhaps not very practical with Elephants due to all the problems of transporting them, while they have said they will revue things if another elephant(s) is offered at some time in the future.

There are parallels here to Bristol's last elephant 'Wendy'. They obtained another female as company for her (I think it was Maya now at Chester) but she was bullied by the newcomer and it just didn't work so the new elephant had to be moved out- Wendy seemed happier alone which is how she then lived until she died.

I wonder what the general public will think about them proposing to keep Annie solitary longterm, and if they will accept Longleat's reasons for doing so.
 
Can anyone tell me if Nico the gorilla is still alive? I know his partner Samba passed away a few years ago. Also, what are the plans for the island when Nico does pass?
 
Afaik 'Nico' is still alive and well, he certainly was until recently and there's been no announcement otherwise, which I'm sure there would be as he is currently the oldest male Gorilla in a European zoo/park and probably nowadays Longleat's most famous resident.

Regarding the island when he dies, I imagine they will either put the silverback 'Boulas' who (still afaik) lives solitary from the other males and can't be mixed with them, on there, or alternatively maybe a group of some sort of large monkey perhaps? I would think probably Boulas if he's still there and in the same situation as now.
 
Longleat....

Boulas might be the obvious solution. I have a nasty feeling that all large monkeys put on islands, eventually turn out to be able to swim. If there were some decent climbing structures, gibbons might be appropriate.
 
Gorilla, Boulas has died following a routine procedure to treat a dental abscess:

It is with great sadness that Longleat has to announce the death of our 27-year-old male Western lowland gorilla Boulas yesterday (June 3rd 2014).

A full post mortem is being carried out but early indications are that he died of respiratory failure related to an undiagnosed abscess in his throat.

Longleat’s Director of Animal Operations, Jon Cracknell, said: “This is a tragic loss and a cause for great sadness across the entire safari park.

“Boulas’ keepers in particular have been devastated by the death of an individual they worked and lived with every day."

Boulas had undergone a standard veterinary procedure to treat a suspected dental abscess. Following recovery he suffered severe respiratory problems and despite the best efforts of the veterinary team, it was not possible to save him.

Boulas arrived at Longleat in 2012 from Twycross Zoo as part of a new state-of-the-art Gorilla Colony.

Longleat Mourns Loss Of Boulas The Gorilla - Longleat Safari Park & Adventure Park
 
Without wishing to sound callous, Boulas hadn't got much to look forward to in life, just a solitary existence longterm as given his mature status(and afaik) they hadn't been able to integrate him with the three brothers. The fact no mention is made of the rest of the 'group' seems to bear that out.

I'll write a bit more about 'Boulas' in the 'Gorillas in Europe' section.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top