African Lion Safari African Lion Safari

Yassa said:
When it comes to their elephants. there are 2 points that stand out: 1. they still use free contact and train their elephants using bullhooks, 2. there is a total lack of information about their facilities/ how the elephants live. How big is their barn? Do they have sand flooring (probably not). How are they elephants grouped at night - do they have large indoor areas where the family groups can run freely, or are they kept in small stalls or even on chains at night? They do publish these wonderful videos and pictures of elephants in the forest or on green pastures, but I have zero information how much time the elephants actually spend in these areas, where they spend the rest of the time, and how they spend the night. How many fenced paddocks do they have, how big are they, and which elephants live with whom? Do they have the whole group of females and calves together during the day in the outside paddocks? Do all elephants have regular acess to the forest/ large pastures? If I remember right, originally, they had a barn with concrete flooring where the elephants were chained at night. I have no idea if that has changed now....

If someone knows more, I would be very happy to learn more! But for now, I am sceptical - yes they have the most sucessful breeding group in North America, but I am not sure if they have the barn space to adequately house all these elephants; I am very concerned about their continued use of free contact and I am concerned because their breeding females are of 3 different maternal families, which usually means a lot of conflict and agression between the different matriarchal groups.
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I think this perfectly encapsulates why I'm not so wild about ALS. Quite a few other zoos are pretty open about how they keep their animals, even if it's not optimal, they'll at least explain why for those individuals.

Also, I'm pretty anti free contact of elephants in zoos as I feel it stresses out the elephants and it's a danger for staff.
 
Aelita said:
In their Jan 4th email newsletter that was sent out, it still says 17 elephants. How come it isn’t updated to list 20?
It would have also been a good opportunity to announce the new calves given it details conservation and the breeding program.
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No idea, they surely have more than seventeen (unless there have been some recent deaths).
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
The plan now at Columbus Zoo is to have 2 breeding bulls in parallel at the facility?
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Columbus' facility is adequate to hold two or even three bulls. The ultimate goal (stated in a few articles from today) is to give the females the highest possible chance of having calves.
The plan seems to be to keep one bull with the females and one on his own. And long-term I imagine Frankie will be grouped with one of them as well.
 
My knowledge isn't exact but I thought ALS used in vitro for breeding. So losing a male doesn't necessarily impact of they import the necessary genetic material.
 
kingoffreaks said:
My knowledge isn't exact but I thought ALS used in vitro for breeding. So losing a male doesn't necessarily impact of they import the necessary genetic material.
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I'd be very surprised if this was the case. They've retained fairly natural breeding intervals with all their cows and that would be, frankly, almost impossible to achieve withour natural breeding.
 
There is no in vitro technology available for elephants. I guess you mean artificial insemination. Which is very expensive and require complicated logistics in elephants. I very much doubt African Lion Safari is using it due to these factors - they had zero need for it because Johnson was getting all the girls pregnant for free. Now they need a new unrelated bull though if they want to continue breeding. But I am not so sure they can just continue to breed so many elephants calves without sending some females to other zoos first - barn space is surely not unlimited.
 
Yassa said:
But I am not so sure they can just continue to breed so many elephants calves without sending some females to other zoos first - barn space is surely not unlimited.
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I do wonder why they haven't already done this. They have three separate matrilines, in addition to another sub-matriline.

Matriline 1: Lilly and her calves - Piccolo, Hannah, Luna, & Imke.

Matriline 2: Natasha and her calves - Opal, Nellie, Rose, & Sunita.

Matriline 3: Emily and her calf Maya.

Sub-matriline: Opal and her calves - Anna-May & Onyx.

They also have three non-breeding individuals: Jenny, Maggie, & George. I'm not sure why they're holding onto them either. Two post-reproductive cows and a chemically castrated bull can't be adding much to the herd socially, surely?
 
Wisp O' Mist said:
I do wonder why they haven't already done this. They have three separate matrilines, in addition to another sub-matriline.

Matriline 1: Lilly and her calves - Piccolo, Hannah, Luna, & Imke.

Matriline 2: Natasha and her calves - Opal, Nellie, Rose, & Sunita.

Matriline 3: Emily and her calf Maya.

Sub-matriline: Opal and her calves - Anna-May & Onyx.

They also have three non-breeding individuals: Jenny, Maggie, & George. I'm not sure why they're holding onto them either. Two post-reproductive cows and a chemically castrated bull can't be adding much to the herd socially, surely?
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I have zero idea of their barn size since, iirc, it isn't public knowledge but realistically they cannot possibly continue to hold three matrilines as they grow.
It would be fairly easy to move out Emily and Maya to somewhere else in the region, given Charlie Gray isn't difficult with trying to put a price on them. Despite both being of rather modest genetic value (and Maya being inbred) I'm sure a facility like LA or Tulsa wouldn't mind taking them on.

The obvious choice of the remaining two matrilines to move out would be Lilly's. Four elephants is far easier to transfer then 6 and Most of Lilly's calves are below reproductive age anyway.
 
Frankie_number_1_fan said:
I'd be very surprised if this was the case. They've retained fairly natural breeding intervals with all their cows and that would be, frankly, almost impossible to achieve withour natural breeding.
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Yes sorry did mean artificial insemination and wouldn't be surprised if the information was incorrect my source wasn't the most reliable. Though apparently they've been involved in biobanking for the past 30 years. If they've had previous males that they collected from and don't want to acquire a new male they may dip into that. Biobanking - African Lion Safari
 
kingoffreaks said:
Yes sorry did mean artificial insemination and wouldn't be surprised if the information was incorrect my source wasn't the most reliable. Though apparently they've been involved in biobanking for the past 30 years. If they've had previous males that they collected from and don't want to acquire a new male they may dip into that. Biobanking - African Lion Safari
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AI is expensive, invasive and in all too many cases unsuccessful. Its a wonderful tool when needed, but for a huge herd such as ALS it's simply not practical. With the amount of younger males in Europe right now, I dont have any doubts that they'll aquire a new bull from there and stick to the natural breeding route.
 
Frankie_number_1_fan said:
I'd be very surprised if this was the case. They've retained fairly natural breeding intervals with all their cows and that would be, frankly, almost impossible to achieve withour natural breeding.
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Thanks for clearing that up ..., given the large herd and Johnson being the prime breeding bull I thought the "in vitro" did not hold water much. The large herd that is ALS just does not need AI to keep its numbers up and a socially mature adult bull is quite capable to suss out the cows when cycling. Their natural instincts and functionality (organ of Jacobson) through evolution are just the most effective ...

As for a new breeding bull: Source a new bull from down south .... I am not sure how and what the import / export regulations vis a vis animal transport between US and Canada are like. Some of the ALS elephants have ended up in Europe (a.o. Calvin) and it is quite possible with the good numbers of young maturing or mature bulls a surplus one may be sourced from the European Continent.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Thanks for clearing that up ..., given the large herd and Johnson being the prime breeding bull I thought the "in vitro" did not hold water much. The large herd that is ALS just does not need AI to keep its numbers up and a socially mature adult bull is quite capable to suss out the cows when cycling. Their natural instincts and functionality (organ of Jacobson) through evolution are just the most effective ...

As for a new breeding bull: Source a new bull from down south .... I am not sure how and what the import / export regulations vis a vis animal transport between US and Canada are like. Some of the ALS elephants have ended up in Europe (a.o. Calvin) and it is quite possible with the good numbers of young maturing or mature bulls a surplus one may be sourced from the European Continent.
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I wouldn't be surprised at all if plans are already in place to import a European bull. ALS has wanted Johnson out since before Covid anyway, so there very well could be a new bull headed there soon.
NA doesn't have the suplus that Europe has, and there's really not a single bull in the US that I can see being exported at the moment, so Europe feels the most likely location imo.
 
Frankie_number_1_fan said:
I wouldn't be surprised at all if plans are already in place to import a European bull. ALS has wanted Johnson out since before Covid anyway, so there very well could be a new bull headed there soon.
NA doesn't have the suplus that Europe has, and there's really not a single bull in the US that I can see being exported at the moment, so Europe feels the most likely location imo.
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Thanks for your observations.

This still leaves the other part unanswered: What is the story around the remaining adult bull George acknowledging that bull Johnson (now at Columbus Zoo) and George are half-siblings anyway)?

What future for bull George in ALS or North America? Or is there none?
 
George had been given Improvac shots regularly for a couple of years while he was still young (pre-puberty) and as a result, he is now permanently infertile. Improvac treatment was stopped years ago but testing revealed that the testosterone levels stayed low permanently. He is an impressive animal, tall and with big tusks, but weights less then an intact bull. I am pretty sure Charlie Grey‘s plan for him is to keep him as a display animal. I think I read once that he can be housed with the female group permanently.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Thanks for your observations.

This still leaves the other part unanswered: What is the story around the remaining adult bull George acknowledging that bull Johnson (now at Columbus Zoo) and George are half-siblings anyway)?

What future for bull George in ALS or North America? Or is there none?
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George is their demo and promo bull. If you look through their limited social media presence, he's featured more than any other elephant. He's an impressive, big, tusked bull that they can easily use for demonstrations. Point being, he's a good look to guests.
With him being castrated, he doesn't go into musth and thus functions the same as a non-reproductive cow. He is housed with the females permanently, no different than another cow. Him leaving ALS is extremely unlikely, and nor is there a point for him to do so.
Its not that big of a loss that he'll never reproduce however, given that he's a son of the prolific Calvin and part of the ever so prolific Motek/Warda line.
 
Lilly the Asian elephant gave birth to a female named Abigail on January 28th and Opal gave birth to a female named Olivia on February 2nd. The father is most likely Johnson per usual.

This brings their herd to 18 though if I am correct and nothing has happened to Imke and Maya they should have 20 Asian elephants but who knows

African Lion Safari on Instagram: " Double the joy at African Lion Safari! We're thrilled to announce the arrival of not one, but TWO female elephant calves who have joined our Asian elephant herd! Lily proudly gave birth to Abigail on January 28, 2024, and Opal welcomed Olivia on February 2, 2024! African Lion Safari is proud to have one of the most successful conservation programmes for the Asian elephants in North America. Our goal is to conserve the Asian elephant for future generations by focusing on herd management, conservation, research, and education. "In the wild, elephant herds are matriarchal and consist of several females with young calves. Abigail, having 4 older sisters to grow up with and learn from, is truly incredible" says Taryn, Assistant Superintendent of Elephants. "Lily is an experienced, attentive mother who has always done a fantastic job at teaching her calves how to properly orient themselves within our herd of 18 Asian elephants." Olivia is another third generation calf born to our elephant family. "Every birth is a cherished event for our herd, and Olivia couldn't fit in any better. She adores her grandmother, Natasha, big sister Anna May, and all of her aunts. Growing up in a herd structure that closely resembles a wild population of elephants is crucial for calf learning and development" says Taryn. When these two adorable calves are not exploring the woods, guests visiting African Lion Safari may catch a glimpse of Abigail and Olivia at the Elephant Lookout (subject to weather and nap time schedules). "
 
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Mr.Ivory said:
Lilly the Asian elephant gave birth to a female named Abigail on January 28th and Opal gave birth to a female named Olivia on February 2nd. The father is most likely Johnson per usual.

This brings their herd to 18 though if I am correct and nothing has happened to Imke and Maya they should have 20 Asian elephants but who knows

African Lion Safari on Instagram: " Double the joy at African Lion Safari! We're thrilled to announce the arrival of not one, but TWO female elephant calves who have joined our Asian elephant herd! Lily proudly gave birth to Abigail on January 28, 2024, and Opal welcomed Olivia on February 2, 2024! African Lion Safari is proud to have one of the most successful conservation programmes for the Asian elephants in North America. Our goal is to conserve the Asian elephant for future generations by focusing on herd management, conservation, research, and education. "In the wild, elephant herds are matriarchal and consist of several females with young calves. Abigail, having 4 older sisters to grow up with and learn from, is truly incredible" says Taryn, Assistant Superintendent of Elephants. "Lily is an experienced, attentive mother who has always done a fantastic job at teaching her calves how to properly orient themselves within our herd of 18 Asian elephants." Olivia is another third generation calf born to our elephant family. "Every birth is a cherished event for our herd, and Olivia couldn't fit in any better. She adores her grandmother, Natasha, big sister Anna May, and all of her aunts. Growing up in a herd structure that closely resembles a wild population of elephants is crucial for calf learning and development" says Taryn. When these two adorable calves are not exploring the woods, guests visiting African Lion Safari may catch a glimpse of Abigail and Olivia at the Elephant Lookout (subject to weather and nap time schedules). "
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Its likely one of their older elephants passed and/or they lost a calf or two to EEHV unfortunately which would explain the 18 animals versus 20, I dont see a reason for the facility to undersell their number of elephants. Either way what an exciting turn, 2 additional girls is wonderful!
 
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