Well then, at least they did something right by having a pup survive to adulthood (though I doubt it was alive for long). Most zoos that have had elephant seals when they were the "big thing" kept them with other seals and sealions and even occasionally walruses in standard seal pools.
Well then, at least they did something right by having a pup survive to adulthood (though I doubt it was alive for long). Most zoos that have had elephant seals when they were the "big thing" kept them with other seals and sealions and even occasionally walruses in standard seal pools.
Maybe they only had luck, but you're right-also"Eric", born in 1977 and send to Berlin Zoo, died only four years old in 1981. I don't know, how many of them were born at Antwerp Zoo, but I would say,"Eric"wasn't the only one-many zoos had almost every year a birth, but most of them were dead born or they died after a couple of days. Hundreds of elephant seals were imported to the zoos and died often just a short time, and only three captive born animals survived longer than six months...Some zoos kept them in seperate pools, but mostly 1.1 or 1.2, with the same negative results.So the best option was to stop any attempts to keep this species-luckily, the zoos did
Who wants to see them, should go to the california coast....hundreds of wild elephant seals, and this for FREE !
I'd love to, but a plane ticket to California isn't exactly ''free''.
Anyway, it is indeed for the better that this species isn't kept around here anymore although it's still sad that we're missing such a magnificent animal from our zoos.
Elephnat sela sare indeed phanatstic animals, but zoso can't offer them the ythings tehy need. Zoos ahve kept them in pairs or maybe 1.2, but thats tehw ay the live in wild..and, of course, males an dfemales are most of the time sepereated and meet only for mating.
If I see this tiny pool on this picture, it was the olny option for all Zoos, to stop keeping elephant seals. So people should miss them in zoos should check how many of them several zoso have imported and send them mostly after just a couple of years to the elephant seal heaven...
I'd love to, but a plane ticket to California isn't exactly ''free''.
Anyway, it is indeed for the better that this species isn't kept around here anymore although it's still sad that we're missing such a magnificent animal from our zoos.
And even if you do live in the U.S. like me and don't want a plan ticket, California is a long way away if you arn't close by. Not only that but you also have to deal with other people who want to see the seals (including some who would probably do some horrific and illegal things).
It is better that this species is no longer kept yes. We can't keep every animal in zoos and there are only so many zoos on the planet and so few reaching the height to acquire such animals. It's no point in keeping elephant seals in captivity except for their educational purpose and taking in individuals who wouldn't survive in the wild but other than that, they're not even endangered.
