This was the beginning of their troubles. Bindu had killed a keeper the month before this was taken, and Pugli, pregnant if in the photograph, killed the calf at birth when it was born that August. While a few quiet years followed, the first of the stillbirths began in 1987, to Rani.
Still a brave attempt to conserve elephants ex situ by Aspinall, but the Port Lympne elephant project was not a success. Pehaps the silver linings are that Bindu has gone on to sire surviving calves at Cologne, and that the only surviving Port-Lympne calf, May Tagu, is alive and well aged 8 or 9 at Planckendael with her mother and 'aunt'.
I watched the elephants being put away that afternoon and the three keepers, one of whom was the famous George Jacobs, were clearly exceptionally wary of Bindu. Having been encouraged to head inside with lots of "good boys" he charged into the house with the keepers jumping out of the way.
I always remember the enclosure being rather odd and haphazard, with various pens and standoffs-a complete contrast to Howletts. Maybe the Asians would have been better served if they stayed at Howletts and the Africans went to PL.
Having only vague recollections of this group I'd love to know more about them! Can anyone remember the hierarchy of the group, matriarch etc? Were there any problems keeping Assam and Bindu so close together?
I believe this photo would have been taken from the 'observation area' which seemed to be built above the indoor housing for the females? I was there on the day one of them was in labour (indoors) but not for the outcome- I suspect it was Pugli and the incident mentioned above.
Its good that at least May Tagu has passed the danger period and survived.
IMO never.... I think 'once bitten twice shy' is the maxim here- they failed with them outstandingly compared to their other successes and so wouldn't want to repeat that failure. Also IMO, the area is not a good site for Elephants anyway, being too exposed.
I watched the elephants being put away that afternoon and the three keepers, one of whom was the famous George Jacobs, were clearly exceptionally wary of Bindu. Having been encouraged to head inside with lots of "good boys" he charged into the house with the keepers jumping out of the way.
I always remember the enclosure being rather odd and haphazard, with various pens and standoffs-a complete contrast to Howletts. Maybe the Asians would have been better served if they stayed at Howletts and the Africans went to PL.
Having only vague recollections of this group I'd love to know more about them! Can anyone remember the hierarchy of the group, matriarch etc? Were there any problems keeping Assam and Bindu so close together?
As the deaths of all three female African elephants at PL in the last decade might suggest, I think either species would have done much better at Howletts.
The original 2.4 were Assam, Bindu, Motki, Rani, Pugli and Buria. I don't know what the management of the bulls was like but I don't think either went into musth until the separate bull house was built in the 1990s(?). Windsor Safari Park's last two Asian elephants, Davida and Yasmin, arrived around 1988, followed by further imports from Rotterdam and Gansendorf in the 1990s.
Rani and Buria are still alive at Neinkirchen Zoo, along with the last ex-Glasgow elephant, Kirsty (via Chester and Dublin). Motki lives at Sosto zoo with Yasmin. Assam and Davida both died at PL in the mid-90s and late 80s respectively. Pugli died at Terra Natura (where many of the original cows were initially sent in 2006, along with Luka, the then breeding bull). Bindu is the breeding bull at Cologne. I won't list the many later additions here, I think they are detailed elsewhere on this site.
As the deaths of all three female African elephants at PL in the last decade might suggest, I think either species would have done much better at Howletts.
The original 2.4 were Assam, Bindu, Motki, Rani, Pugli and Buria. I don't know what the management of the bulls was like but I don't think either went into musth until the separate bull house was built in the 1990s(?). Windsor Safari Park's last two Asian elephants, Davida and Yasmin, arrived around 1988, followed by further imports from Rotterdam and Gansendorf in the 1990s.
Rani and Buria are still alive at Neinkirchen Zoo, along with the last ex-Glasgow elephant, Kirsty (via Chester and Dublin). Motki lives at Sosto zoo with Yasmin. Pugli is dead, while Assam and Davida both died at PL. Bindu is the breeding bull at Cologne. I won't list the many later additions here, I think they are detailed elsewhere on this site.
The new Bull house was in use when i moved from Marwell to Port Lympne in earley 1986. The fencing around both the cow and Bull yards was very strong and nevr gave cause for concern. I was on the night duty the night Rani gave birth and was guessed the calf was alive at the start of the labour but had died before Rani gave birth.
