Port Lympne Wild Animal Park Asian Or African

[johnstoni.]

With some of the complications that has been going on with the Howletts herd lately i dont think it would be a bad idea to swap Jums and Kruger and send Issa with Kruger to Howletts and then have Jums and his two sons as a bachelor herd.

I take it the complications you are referring to are the deaths of two young adult (in captive terms) Howletts-born cows in 2010 and 2011. It is interesting that the database shows both of these produced a calf before they died.

From the database:

- In the case of Justa/Jumas, she died in September 2010 having produced a calf by Jums in May of that year (Manzi/Nelly), which would then likely be the bottle-fed calf we heard about in the dispute over the head keeper sacking.

- In the case of Umna (born 1997 to Jums and Swana), she died a week after producing one of the only stillborn calves to be born at Howletts. The database doesn't note who the father is, but it is likely to be her own father, Jums.

It makes me wonder the reactions in these animals that they'd mated with their father, and whether that created extra stress/tensions within the herd that contributed to their deaths.

Neither Shara or Lara, the two cow African elephants who died at Port Lympne, had given birth prior to this AFAIK.

 

[Martin Smith]

For the original poster on this thread, here is the history of Asian elephants at Port Lympne (I'm relying on a couple of databases plus memory, please anyone correct any inaccuracies).
Etc etc........

Wow, some great info there, thanks for the update...... I always wondered what happened to my "charges" after I left....... kept in touch for a few years obviously, but it's now been many many years!

I was 2nd IC on the Elephants when I started at PL in 1980, Section Head after Quentin left (RIP Quint) in '82..... worked with Mark till his death by Bindu (RIP Mark) in '84..... Mark was replaced by Billy Bliss, my old workmate from Royal Windsor Safari Park (RIP Billy) and I remained there till 1990...... I left through very unfortunate and difficult circumstances a couple of weeks after the birth of Yasmin's first twin but before she passed the second.

I'm new to this forum..... I will be trying to track down a lot of my old colleagues from Port Lympne and Howletts through here..... hopefully you will all bear with me and maybe help me!

Cheers,

Martin
Chiang Mai

 

[Hexaprotodon]

Hi Martin,

I worked on the Port Lympne Elephant section a couple of times in the late 90's and in 2000/2001. I've kept in touch with a couple of my former colleagues. I think John Taylor is Head Keeper. Paul Beer from the Rhino section is acting as ic2 at the moment. Steve Seathe moved on following the death of Darren, he did come back for a while as Head Keeper but decided not to continue in that position.

I'm quite sure John or Paul would be really pleased to hear from you.

PJ

 

[Martin Smith]

Hey PJ,

Many thanks for your reply, good to hear from you.

John Taylor..... was he the skinny guy who originally started as a Gardner around '84? Joined me on the Elephants '86, he wears real thick glasses.... is that him?

(I have a pic here but don't understand this "enter URL of image" etc..... it used to be easier just to Browse and Upload pics on these forums!!)

If you have, or can find an email from anyone still there I'd appreciate it..... how about Berry? She still on the Rhinos?

My email is: martin.acecafe@gmail.com

Cheers!