Australasian Asian Elephant Population 2024

Swanson02 said:
Aren't Putra Mas and Permai also from Malaysia?
Click to expand...

Putra Mas (1989), Permai (1989) and Teduh (1990-2007) came from Malaysia. They were wild born and stayed at the Melaka Zoo prior to their export to Australia in 1992.

There’s a video about them here:


As @NathanTheAsian mentions, some acknowledge the three subspecies (Indian, Sri Lankan and Sumatran); others acknowledge further splits. Ultimately the region will be breeding any subspecies that isn’t Sumatran with each other.
 
Australasian Founders - Part One

We currently have 3.4 founders (2.4 living) that have living descendants within the region:

1.0 Bong Su (1974-2017) Imported 1977 3
1.0 Putra Mas (1989) Imported 1992 1
1.0 Gung (2000) Imported 2006 5

0.1 Porntip (1992) Imported 2006 2
0.1 Dokkoon (1993) Imported 2006 3
0.1 Thong Dee (1997) Imported 2006 5
0.1 Num-Oi (2001) Imported 2006 1

We have a further 2.2 founders which are currently unrepresented; but to the best of our knowledge, reproductively viable:

1.0 Kavi (2014) Imported 2020
1.0 Ashoka (2014) Imported 2020

0.1 Pak Boon (1992) Imported 2006
0.1 Anjalee (2006) Imported 2015

Please note: This list does not include founders confirmed to be non-contributing members to the regional population. This includes non-viable cows; deceased founder cows/bulls that died without producing offspring; and Australia Zoo’s Sumatran elephants, which will not be breeding with the main regional population.
 
Australasian Founders - Part Two

With confirmation Pak Boon will be transferring to Monarto Safari Park, we have a much clearer picture with regards to the future of the regional breeding programme.

Putra Mas producing 2-3 calves with Pak Boon at Monarto Safari Park over the next decade is a reasonable assumption; while the current plan is for Luk Chai to sire one more cohort of calves at Werribee Open Range Zoo, before a new breeding bull is sourced.

Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s plans are more ambiguous. The latest annual report indicated a desire to breed from Anjalee by the end of 2023, so time will whether that was successful. It’s currently unknown whether Porntip and Thong Dee will breed again; with the current plan being for Kanlaya to have her first calf circa 2032.

With Man Jai’s death, Bong Su’s descendants have been reduced to just three elephants in the region - Mali, Pathi Harn and Roi-Yim. Especially if Porntip is not intended to breed again, it wouldn’t appear a bad move to breed Pathi Harn and Anjalee; though the plan has been reported to be to allow Gung and Pathi Harn the opportunity to breed with her.

Kavi and Ashoka will presumably enter the breeding programme at one stage. One of them transferring to Werribee is an option; though it’s worth considering they’re well represented within the global captive population and it’d be significantly easier to export bulls bred from less represented founder lines.
 
Swanson02 said:
Perth Zoo elephants not ready to pack their trunks just yet

Does anyone know what to make of this?
Click to expand...
Wow, interesting to hear. Although the article is beind a paywall, it appears Putra Mas's hormones and musth are likely preventing him from being crate trained.

I'd assume the weather may have something to do with Monarto's construction of their elephant facilities; and obviously this would therefore delay the other elephants transfers from Auckland and Taronga as well.

If moving Putra Mas is still an issue by later this year, I still hope they decide to send Permai anyway. Although this will make things logistically more difficult, it's best Permai receives companionship sooner rather than later.
 
Swanson02 said:
Perth Zoo elephants not ready to pack their trunks just yet

Does anyone know what to make of this?
Click to expand...
Jambo said:
Wow, interesting to hear. Although the article is beind a paywall, it appears Putra Mas's hormones and musth are likely preventing him from being crate trained.

I'd assume the weather may have something to do with Monarto's construction of their elephant facilities; and obviously this would therefore delay the other elephants transfers from Auckland and Taronga as well.

If moving Putra Mas is still an issue by later this year, I still hope they decide to send Permai anyway. Although this will make things logistically more difficult, it's best Permai receives companionship sooner rather than later.
Click to expand...

The plan for sometime has been for Putra Mas and Permai to transfer to Monarto Safari Park in May 2025 (see the Perth Zoo news thread). Aside from working around Putra Mas’ musth cycle, they’d be mindful not to transfer them during the summer when temperatures soar and could elevate the risk to their health in transit.

Burma is still on track to arrive October/November 2024 according to reports from Auckland Zoo last month.
 
Swanson02 said:
Perth Zoo elephants not ready to pack their trunks just yet

Does anyone know what to make of this?
Click to expand...
Luke899 said:
Yeah I saw it this morning, was going to post it.

To do with putra mas's yearly hormonal tantrums haha :D, the big boys needs some personal space. Especially now that's he's travelling by plane in a 747, not by road. He needs to be calm
Click to expand...

There’s further explanation in this news article regarding arrival dates. Burma is coming from overseas, so requires international quarantine. The Australian elephants will then arrive around six months later, once Putra Mas’ musth cycle has finished.

Monarto's Elephant Habitat Plan - Power FM SA

The aim is to first get Burma over to settle following international quarantine, then get the male elephant Putra Mas prepared.

“We’ve been building the additional habitat area, particularly one that’s suitable for the bull elephant… and looking to move them around April/ May next year. That will really be dependent on when Putra Mas, the male, finishes what they call ‘Musth’ which is his cycle of sexual activity. Apparently you just don’t touch a male elephant when they’re in that period…. then when he’s more settled, then they will come across from Perth and at about the same time, move the two females from Taronga,” Elaine Benstead explained.
 
Zoofan15 said:
There’s further explanation in this news article regarding arrival dates. Burma is coming from overseas, so requires international quarantine. The Australian elephants will then arrive around six months later, once Putra Mas’ musth cycle has finished.

Monarto's Elephant Habitat Plan - Power FM SA

The aim is to first get Burma over to settle following international quarantine, then get the male elephant Putra Mas prepared.

“We’ve been building the additional habitat area, particularly one that’s suitable for the bull elephant… and looking to move them around April/ May next year. That will really be dependent on when Putra Mas, the male, finishes what they call ‘Musth’ which is his cycle of sexual activity. Apparently you just don’t touch a male elephant when they’re in that period…. then when he’s more settled, then they will come across from Perth and at about the same time, move the two females from Taronga,” Elaine Benstead explained.
Click to expand...
Ah so burmas having her quarantine at monarto, and they’re just holding off the other elephants till she finishes (and coincides with Putra musth). Sounds about right. Much better then bothering with a third-party facility for quarantine
 
Ooc, has there been any research into musth suppressant or no?

I assume the issue came up at least once with how scary a bull in this state can be
 
tigris115 said:
Ooc, has there been any research into musth suppressant or no?

I assume the issue came up at least once with how scary a bull in this state can be
Click to expand...

Immunocontraceptives have been used on wild male elephants such as a Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) vaccine. It inhibits the release of testosterone, preventing the bull from entering musth.

To my knowledge, there’s no interest regionally in undertaking this with bull elephants due to their value to the breeding programme. Putra Mas will be breeding soon after he arrives on site and is one of the most genetically valuable bulls in captivity.

Musth is a natural phenomenon and the zoos do a great job at riding it out. Perth Zoo have a well developed protocol for managing Putra Mas during this time; as do Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Gung, who is notorious for throwing projectiles, is housed in a paddock away from the public to avoid any risk of injury.
 
Zoofan15 said:
Immunocontraceptives have been used on wild male elephants such as a Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH) vaccine. It inhibits the release of testosterone, preventing the bull from entering musth.

To my knowledge, there’s no interest regionally in undertaking this with bull elephants due to their value to the breeding programme. Putra Mas will be breeding soon after he arrives on site and is one of the most genetically valuable bulls in captivity.

Musth is a natural phenomenon and the zoos do a great job at riding it out. Perth Zoo have a well-developed protocol for managing Putra Mas during this time; as do Taronga Western Plains Zoo. Gung, who is notorious for throwing projectiles, is housed in a paddock away from the public to avoid any risk of injury.
Click to expand...

Aren't musth cycles semi-random though? Like musth happens once every year for 2-4 months but it doesn't coincide on the exact same dates every year? With it possibly starting a few months early/late. Delaying Putra Mas's transfer may just end up coinciding it with him having a late musth cycle. Doesn't make sense to me...

Also, I don't understand how heats a factor? Now it's confirmed that the Perth pair will be flying, heat isn't really an issue in an airconditioned plane? Whereas it definitely would be a concern for the 3-day drive across the nullabor.
 
Swanson02 said:
Aren't musth cycles semi-random though? Like musth happens once every year for 2-4 months but it doesn't coincide on the exact same dates every year? With it possibly starting a few months early/late. Delaying Putra Mas's transfer may just end up coinciding it with him having a late musth cycle. Doesn't make sense to me...

Also, I don't understand how heats a factor? Now it's confirmed that the Perth pair will be flying, heat isn't really an issue in an airconditioned plane? Whereas it definitely would be a concern for the 3-day drive across the nullabor.
Click to expand...

By a bull of Putra Mas’ age, musth cycles are usually annual, occurring at the same time each year and signify good health/condition of the bull.

In younger bulls, musth cycles are more irregular. Gung has had shorter, irregular musth cycles that have been less predictable for example.

I don’t know specifics of Perth’s transport crates (whether they’re air conditioned); but they’d presumably want to avoid any delays on the tarmac etc that could lead to heat stress.
 
Swanson02 said:
Aren't musth cycles semi-random though? Like musth happens once every year for 2-4 months but it doesn't coincide on the exact same dates every year? With it possibly starting a few months early/late. Delaying Putra Mas's transfer may just end up coinciding it with him having a late musth cycle. Doesn't make sense to me...

Also, I don't understand how heats a factor? Now it's confirmed that the Perth pair will be flying, heat isn't really an issue in an airconditioned plane? Whereas it definitely would be a concern for the 3-day drive across the nullabor.
Click to expand...
When I was at the Perth zoo in 1999 they were trying to crate training him then as he as told to me by the elephant manager of the day sending him to Fort Worth zoo in the USA. I was lucky enough to of been taken off exhibit to see him in the back yard with the crate sitting there within the yard for him to get use to. I believe they may of had problems then with the training and perhaps that was the reason he was never sent away to the USA. I still have the pics of him and the crate in his yard.
 
Zorro said:
When I was at the Perth zoo in 1999 they were trying to crate training him then as he as told to me by the elephant manager of the day sending him to Fort Worth zoo in the USA. I was lucky enough to of been taken off exhibit to see him in the back yard with the crate sitting there within the yard for him to get use to. I believe they may of had problems then with the training and perhaps that was the reason he was never sent away to the USA. I still have the pics of him and the crate in his yard.
Click to expand...

The intention was indeed to export him to the US, but ultimately he refused to enter the crate. Though I don’t doubt he would have been of immeasurable value to North America, I’m glad we’ve retained such a genetically valuable bull, who has sired one surviving calf to date (with the promise of several more).

The decision to retain Putra Mas was followed by a redevelopment of Perth’s elephant facilties. It effectively tripled the exhibit space and allowed them to manage the bull separately from the cows.
 
Swanson02 said:
Perth Zoo elephants not ready to pack their trunks just yet

Does anyone know what to make of this?
Click to expand...

Perth elephants transferring mid to late 2025:

Non-paywall article:

Thanks to @Nile Hippo Expert for finding this. It pretty much confirms our assumptions of not wanting to transfer Putra Mas during the summer. However it adds the detail it could be as late as late 2025 (not May as previously hoped).

Why Perth Zoo elephants will stay in WA for longer

“Putra Mas typically experiences musth from summer to April or May. Once he’s out of this annual hormonal period our wonderful keepers will be able to recommence preparing him for the move.

“In addition to timing the move around musth, we would also avoid moving the elephants in the hotter months and are therefore now aiming to pack our trunks in mid to late 2025.”
 
EEHV Vaccine Trial

This was shared by @Frankie_number_1_fan in the North American Asian Elephant thread, but I thought it would also be of interest to those who follow Australasia’s population since the plan is to roll this out globally (once tested/approved).

Houston Zoo Elephant Receives First Ever mRNA EEHV Vaccine, The Houston Zoo

The vaccine’s effectiveness will be measured by evaluating antibody levels in her blood while monitoring for specific side effects or adverse reactions such as injection site swelling or allergic reaction.

Following Tess’s vaccination, the next steps include vaccinating additional members of Houston Zoo’s herd and monitoring them similarly. Plans also include making this vaccine available to other elephants, both in human care and then in the wild.

We currently have 6.6 Asian elephants in the region under 15 years of age:

Australia Zoo:

0.1 Christina (01/12/2009) Imported 2019
0.1 Raflesia (00/11/2014) Imported 2019

Melbourne Zoo:

1.0 Luk Chai (04/07/2009) Gung x Thong Dee
0.1 Mali (16/01/2010) Bong Su x Dokkoon
0.1 Aiyara (16/11/2022) Luk Chai x Dokkoon
1.0 Roi-Yim (25/11/2022) Luk Chai x Mali
0.1 Kati (01/01/2023) Luk Chai x Num Oi

Syndey Zoo:

1.0 Kavi (17/07/2014) Imported 2020
1.0 Ashoka (19/08/2014) Imported 2020

Taronga Western Plains Zoo:

1.0 Pathi Harn (10/03/2010) Bong Su x Porntip
1.0 Sabai (02/11/2016) Gung x Thong Dee
0.1 Kanlaya (14/06/2018) Putra Mas x Porntip

 
Hyak_II said:
Sydney Zoo's two bulls imported from Europe are of mixed subspecies status as well. Their sire, Upali, is a 50/50 mix of Indian and Sri Lankan, while their mothers, Yasmin and Anak, are pure Indian.
Click to expand...
Indian and Sri Lankan elephants are currently considered to be the same ESU and so no further splitting in Indian and Sri Lankan is vierde as valid. Just observe that the sea land geological bridge between Sri Lanka and the main Indian Subcontinent does play a part in the regional evolution of Elephas in Asia.

Whether the Central and S.E. Asian regions would validate further subspeciation has been debatted in the last few years and the jury is still out.

What is evidently clear though is that both the Bornean and Sumateran island populations are valid subspecies (even though my region - Europe through EAZA/EEP - has belatedly initiated new research into the current European population genetically - which on the premise of genetics I do applaud, but less so genetically as the evidence has already been presented ... it seems zoo community is sometimes a tad on the conservative rightly or wrongly -).
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Indian and Sri Lankan elephants are currently considered to be the same ESU and so no further splitting in Indian and Sri Lankan is vierde as valid. Just observe that the sea land geological bridge between Sri Lanka and the main Indian Subcontinent does play a part in the regional evolution of Elephas in Asia.

Whether the Central and S.E. Asian regions would validate further subspeciation has been debatted in the last few years and the jury is still out.

What is evidently clear though is that both the Bornean and Sumateran island populations are valid subspecies (even though my region - Europe through EAZA/EEP - has belatedly initiated new research into the current European population genetically - which on the premise of genetics I do applaud, but less so genetically as the evidence has already been presented ... it seems zoo community is sometimes a tad on the conservative rightly or wrongly -).
Click to expand...

I agree it’s wise to be cautious given these are long-lived animals and decisions made in the present will leave a legacy lasting decades. The Australasian region firmly upholds the recognition of Sumatran elephants as a distinct subspecies and as such, we cannot expect to see any hybridising with the Indian/Sri Lankan elephants in the region.

Although it would have been nice to have seen Australia Zoo acquire Indian or Sri Lankan elephants and play an active role in the regional breeding programme; the announcement Monarto Safari Park will be establishing a herd came as a welcome surprise and with the regional population centered around the powerhouses of Werribee and Monarto, I’m excited about the future direction of the breeding programme.

The possibility of an effective EEHV vaccine would offer increased confidence calves bred in Australian zoos will survive to adulthood; and while we may see less calves bred as a result, it’s a welcome trade off given the impact of the tragic losses of Tukta and Man Jai.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top