I believe it's likely that Mr @Hix may know when he lost that tusk?
Australian Asian Elephant Population 2025
- Thread starter Zoofan15
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Is that a cataract in his right eye? Hard to tell from the photo.
Here’s a photo from just over a year ago for comparison. I can see a hint of something (when compared to the shinier left eye), but it’s hard to say for sure. He is 36 years old, so well and truly into middle age now:
Photo source: Perth Zoo
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Heman was a magnificent bull. Here’s a photo of him from 2005, which illustrates the size of his remaining tusk nicely:
Heman the Asian elephant enjoys some water after being reunited with... News Photo - Getty Images
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
Yes, Herman's one tusk from that photo does look pretty cool. Here is an old photo of him from elephant.se back when he still had two tusks.
If I am not wrong I seem to recall most if not all the enclosure was concrete those walls looked the same in the Black rhino exhibits as well.Yes, Herman's one tusk from that photo does look pretty cool. Here is an old photo of him from elephant.se back when he still had two tusks.
Yes, it was completely concrete and divided into two halves. Gandhi (mature bull) was kept on one side; and the adult cows/juveniles on the other following Heman’s arrival.
There’s a photo here of the bath, which was accessed by the metal gate.
Source: The Wild Reed: A Visit to Sydney's Taronga Zoo
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I remember seeing that pool. That yard must have been awfully hard on their feet
Yes, Herman's one tusk from that photo does look pretty cool. Here is an old photo of him from elephant.se back when he still had two tusks.
Did they keep chains on Heman so he would not fall in the moat again?
As for the tusks, I noticed they have trimmed Putra Mas' tusks. It may be splintering at the ends. Some bulls have a bad habit rubbing their tusks against the walls. They have had to cap a few tusks because of this. But they didn't to cap his in this case.
Standing on concrete floors for so many years was attributed to the arthritis suffered by Kashin at Auckland Zoo and Bong Su at Melbourne Zoo in their final years. They were 24 and 29 respectively when they moved to modern exhibits with appropriate substrate. Sadly were euthanised on medical grounds in their early 40’s.
Compared to the other zoos in the region, who had significantly smaller exhibits (in Wellington’s case simply an elephant house), Taronga’s exhibit was spacious; but like you say, concrete.
I remember someone telling me about Sammy at Amersfoort (I believe) rubbing his tusks against the walls then I saw the photos of his tusks grating the wall in the bull barn. I do not remember if they capped his or not, he died young after siring only one calf that got killed at birth sadly.
No, Heman was never chained to my knowledge. There’s numerous photos from that era showing him roaming freely in the exhibit. Presumably he learnt his lesson as he never fell in again.
Perth have been trimming Putra Mas’ tusks for a number of years now. He didn’t have full contact interactions with staff or Permai, so I assume it was around preventing damage/breakage. Bong Su had his tusks trimmed, but that was as much around preventing injury to the cows/calves during their interactions (despite his docile nature).
Look at the picture. He has chains around his front feet and tethered.
I saw inside what was the former orginal elephant house at Taronga Zoo the big deep marks left on the walls from tusks being rubbed against them
Not sure then as that photo was obviously taken before his fall. Perhaps he was chained while maintenance was carried out in the exhibit; or so a photographer (unfamiliar to the bull) could be brought in to take that photo. The possibilities are endless.
Here’s a photo of Gandhi, who lived at Taronga Zoo until his death in 1968:
Source: How to Move a Zoo: new Sydney Living Museums’ exhibition reimagines parade of animals through city in 1916
Gandhi walking down stairs into bath:
https://static.ffx.io/images/$width...auto/d6941bae218bd6e166a9246935ca2a2ada48ceb4
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Incredible photos. Obviously extremely sub-par living conditions as was the world zoos norm back then, but what photos, from historical p.o.v.
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I don't know when he lost the tusk, I've only ever known him with just the one. And he didn't fall into the moat - I was told the girls pushed him in, but whether it was deliberate or accidental I couldn't say. But that's why he was then kept separate from the girls.
Zorro" said:
That wasn't rubbing - he was actively pushing his tusk on the walls to create cavities. The building was old and the concrete was flaking. If you'd look up at the roof when inside you'd see wire mesh a few inches below the ceiling because the concrete is falling off in small - and some not so small - bits. I believe spalling is the term for it.
Hix
I know a lot of facilities used to chain their elephants up in the barns overnight - although I've only seen a few cases of elephants actually being 'chained' outside.
Perhaps he was chained during musth (and periods of aggression), but there are indeed many possibilities.
Johnpaul21
Well-Known Member
Here are some photos I took of his left and right eye a few weeks ago..... You tell me
