Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
I very much like the idea of 'Sundara' becoming the new 'Sheba' she seems like the perfect candidate to be the 'matriarch' however it won't happen over night. Let's see what it's like this time in two years.
Chester Zoo Chester 2012 #4
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
I very much like the idea of 'Sundara' becoming the new 'Sheba' she seems like the perfect candidate to be the 'matriarch' however it won't happen over night. Let's see what it's like this time in two years.
Jordan-Jaguar97
Well-Known Member
To say 'Aung Bo' is a youngster he already has some tusks on him. Something I believe is rare for a Chester bull.
zoogiraffe
Well-Known Member
Chester don't believe in annoucing due dates,just in case something goes wrong.I actually think we are lucky to know that they have any Elephants expecting,as Chester like to play things close to there chest just in case something goes wrong!
Mark Pilgrim in the most recent 'Z' magazine reports that Thi is pregnant, but according to the elephant team last week (and as reported in part three of the 2012 thread), just Sitami and Sundara are confirmed as expecting. They were puzzled as to the source of the news about Thi and unfortunately neither I nor karoocheetah could remember at the time from where it originated.
Thi's hormone levels have always been difficult to predict, and according to them, as yet inconclusive. But Mark's the boss, so if he says Thi's pregnant, then she'd better be!
But they do it all the time, especially if one asks.
I would still describe him at age 11/12 as a 'youngster'. Tusks start to appear at quite an early age on those bulls that have them.
Its just chance that Chester's previous Asian bulls (and I think that includes 'Nobby') weren't tuskers.
re Sundara- I'm surprised they regard her as a possible(future)matriarch at such a young age. I thought this role always fell to a much older female in the 30-40 years age group. She may have a dominant personality but its not quite the same thing. Still, they know their elephants best.
karoocheetah
Well-Known Member
Please bear in mind that this is still pure speculation - OK it is educated speculation but still that none the less - the comments about this in this thread range from "they say that....." and "maybe Sundara in the future..." i.e. the dynamics of a herd in captivity are not as cut and dried as a wild herd would be - the upshot of this is that the Matriarch role in captive herds is not as well defined - for several reasons - some being the differing backgrounds of the animals and their relationships with keepers, food and other animals as well as their health issues obviously. Watching Chester's herd is certainly interesting and enjoyable and playing 'guess the matriarch' only adds to it
karoocheetah
Well-Known Member
excellent - I thought as much - BUT there are people who consider everything written on this forum to be gospel - it was more for their sake I highlighted this. :O)
Indeed - this is something that, if it does happen, won't happen for a number of years, and a lot can change in that time - it is, as karoocheetah has put it very well, educated speculation.
Changing the topic slightly, great news with regards to Dagmar!
karoocheetah
Well-Known Member
Agreed - a new pure bred Rothschild is always great news - can I interject with a WOO HOO here - thank you!
There seems to be a new general policy of closing the exhibits or restricting access whenever there's a new birth. I wonder why that should be, since it hasn't had an impact on youngsters in the past (for example, I saw the last giraffe calf within hours of its birth).
Any news on the "September" okapi birth?
Great news about one of the (later) immigrant females now having a calf first time.
Personally, I do not think / feel it is in the interest of animal welfare to have the general public peek in on a birth. Let just the mother and calf start the bonding process and get on with it. I am perfectly happy to wait, sit around and wait till after coupla weeks keepers and curators feel it is time to let the public see what has been going around the stalls.
Incidentally, is not Dagmar born in Praha (only en route from Knuthenborg)?
I think it's just to minimise any risk [quite rightly in my opinion]. Just because it hasn't had an impact on youngsters in the past [can we even make a claim like that, as I would expect that to account for all births of giraffes in any zoo]. Giraffes can have a skittish personality, and it might not take much to spook mother or calf. I don't see any problem closing the house for a few days if the staff feel they should, after all they know more about their animals than I do, and indeed more about them and their needs than anybody else on here.
Chester's ID sign for her lists her as being born at Knuthenborg (and they are normally spot on) so can only assume that Knuthenborg had two cows of the same name for a time
...and the safe arrival of her calf is wonderful news
Of course, I'm a huge advocate of giving the public long sticks with which to poke newborns, and air horns too if possible.
Similarly, I'm also a fan of making big announcements about new arrivals that the public cannot actually see. Far better to keep these things low-key until the animals go on show.
Of course, I'm a huge advocate of giving the public long sticks with which to poke newborns, and air horns too if possible.
Similarly, I'm also a fan of making big announcements about new arrivals that the public cannot actually see. Far better to keep these things low-key until the animals go on show.
I'm in two minds over your second point SMR - while I understand that sometimes it's annoying when a zoo says 'look at these great things we have, but only look at pictures because you won't be seeing them yet'
However, the better half of me is glad the zoo is sharing information about what is behind the scenes. The zoo has a right to be proud of something regardless as to whether it's in an on-show part of the zoo, or in an off-show area, or even in-situ news.
That's been tried before,
then Zoochat member A will go upto Chester tomorrow, see the Giraffe house shut and naturally assume there has been a birth (Dagmar's pregnancy was hardly a secret in the past few weeks/months with the size she'd got to!) Zoochat Member A then announces the (assumed) birth on the forum... hence Chester loose half the publicity from it. By announcing it now they've got at least some of the publicity sorted before the calf goes on show + there's no speculation to be had either! Sensible move really