Oregon Zoo Oregon Zoo Elephants

Packy's genes are well-represented, so he will not be bred. Rama's having trouble, so they might train him for AI. Tusko is 41, and still has a few years of fertility left, so he's the only breeding male at this time. Samudra is getting to the age of having to leave the herd, so he might be breeding in about ten years.
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By no strech are Packy's genes well-represented.
 
gerenuk said:
If that was the case, then the zoo wouldn't try to consider breeding Rama or Sung-Surin.
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Exactly. I believe Packy is a little too old to breed... Since he is in his 50's. And the only cow who is not related to him at the zoo is Chendra... Who apparently can only be bred through AI due to ovulation complications.
 
Because his father Thonglaw had so many offspring, his genes (and thus Packy's) are considered well-represented. However, Rama and Shine's mothers are not so well-spread, so Rama and Shine are being bred.
 
whippersnapper said:
Because his father Thonglaw had so many offspring, his genes (and thus Packy's) are considered well-represented. However, Rama and Shine's mothers are not so well-spread, so Rama and Shine are being bred.
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When you say "Rama and Shine are being bred", I really hope you don't mean that they are being bred to each other, as they are half siblings ! (Tusko to Shine, Rama to Chendra?)
 
Sorry, I didn't see it would come across that way! Yes, I do mean that Tusko and Shine are being bred, and either Rama or Tusko can breed with Chendra.
 
Please have a look at Packy`s and Thonglow`s family tree at elephant.se:
Packy, an Asian elephant at Portland Zoo (Metro Washington Park Zoo)

And then tell me anyone REALLY thinks their genes are overrepresented. Yes, Thonglow had a lot of offspring, but most of them are dead, and right now, there is only a SINGLE elephant from the famous Portland line breeding: Rose-Tu, who has exactly one calf up til today, and the calf is still many years away from becoming fertile himself. There is no way in hell Thonglow`s/Packys genes are overrepresented. Hell, they are in grave danger of dying out!! Having a lot of offspring is worthless if the offspring themselves stop breeding. It`s what is carried into the second and third generation what counts. And on this front, the Portland genes are doing really poorly.

If you look at Thonglow`s 15 kids, only 3 are alive today, and the only one who culd breed again is Packy. If you look at Thonglow`s living grandkids, 2 are castrated bulls, 2 bulls never bred (Rama and Khun-Chorn), and female Sun-Surin is now 29 and way too old for a first calf. It won`t happen. Just Rose-Tu is there and breeding and a hope for the future.

Packy, Rama and Khun-Chorn (unless he is castrated too, I am not sure about that) should be moved elsewhere ASAP where they can breed naturally with young unrelated females. Khun-Chorn is obviously not going to breed in Springfield where is is now.
I have no idea why Packy and Rama, though genetically important AND fully mature bulls, are still living in Portland where their potential is totally wasted - in case of Packy, since decades. Packy is in no way too old for breeding, unless he has health issues the zoo has kept to themselves. For example, the Dickerson Park Zoo and the Rosamond Gifford Zoo both really need a fully mature bull. And the Lion Safari Park in Canada too, since they moved their breeding bull to Oklahoma.

The one thing I know is that if Asian elephants have no future in AZA zoos, mismanagement since decades is the main culprit.
 
uszoo said:
Stunning aerial pics offer peek at zoo's new Elephant Lands | Oregon Zoo
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Thanks for posting; I love aerial photos. Many zoo nerds travel to the Pacific Northwest and are pleasantly surprised by the quality on display. It seems as if just about everyone claims that Woodland Park is the slightly better establishment in terms of exhibit quality and species on display. However, very soon the Seattle facility will no longer have elephants while Oregon Zoo is building a vast, sprawling "Elephant Lands" project that is costing somewhere around $50 million. The 32,000 sq. ft. building that is the centrepiece of the complex is something that would rival many elephant barns in European zoos.
 
Elephant Lands is slightly over seventy percent done. Construction should be done soon. Then the rest of the demolition, landscaping and final touches before the Elephants move into their new barn and forest hall by mid-October. If all goes smoothly, that is. The project was to cost around fifty-three million and change. There have been some unforseen costs and now it is up to fifty-seven million and change. There will be an adjustment period while the herd acclimates and learns to shift between the multiple yards. The largest pool, has over 6,500 sq. ft. of water area surface with maximum depth of ten and a half feet. Looking at the cherry pickers in the hall and where visitors will view, the elephants will have lots of space. They can choose to access indoors or out at their leisure.
 
Rama, 31 year old son of the Oregon Zoo's most famous elephant, Packy, has died, according to the Zoo's Facebook page:

This morning, our beloved Asian elephant Rama passed away peacefully in the care of our veterinary and animal management staff.

Rama had experienced a sharp decline in mobility in recent weeks, an issue stemming from a 25-year-old injury to his left front leg. The treatments that had been successful for many years were no longer easing his discomfort, and so — with sadness and compassion — our animal-care staff decided the most humane course of action was to euthanize him.

It is a sad day for all, and our hearts go out first and foremost to the keepers, animal-care staff and volunteers who knew Rama well — please keep them in your thoughts during this difficult time.
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Story here: Zoo says goodbye to beloved Asian elephant Rama | Oregon Zoo

This story notes that the injury was a result of the young male falling into a moat that surrounded his exhibit when the adult females began to push him out of the herd. It also states that while he had TB, he repsonded well to treatment and this was not a factor in his death.
 
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