Noah's Ark Zoo Farm Elephants Arrive

The article says, at one point, that "Zoo supporter Ann Widdecombe, above, is set to officially welcome the new elephant on Friday." - however the only photograph illustrating the article is one of an elephant.....
 
Elephants Buta and Nissim will be joined by others as the Elephant Eden project develops to form a stable herd.

Buta and Nissim will remain at Noah's Ark for two years while Knowsley develops a brand new elephant barn, helping Noah's Ark begin its elephant program.
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Isn't that a bit of a contradiction?
 
Statement from Knowsley:

Hi everyone, we just wanted to let you all know about some changes to our elephant herd here at Knowsley. As part of our long-term future, we are developing some exciting plans for a brand new elephant house. The new house will embrace the latest research, development in elephant husbandry, and provide the highest welfare standards. As part of the development plan, bull elephant Nissim and 30-year-old female Buta are to be temporarily rehomed to Noah’s Ark in Bristol, to allow the team the additional space to work on the house and to give our remaining five African elephants the space to mix comfortably at Knowsley.

After months of dedicated hard work, Buta was transported on Thursday and you’ll be pleased to hear that the move was a great success! The use of protected training and the specially designed crate made sure that the journey was as comfortable as possible.

Our keepers will be maintaining their relationship with both elephants and continuing their protected contact training, by spending one week per month for the next two years at Noah’s Ark. They will be working in partnership with the ‘Elephant Eden’ keepers to ensure that the transition for Nissim and Buta to their new home and ultimately back to Knowsley Safari is a seamless one
 
TeaLovingDave said:
The article says, at one point, that "Zoo supporter Ann Widdecombe, above, is set to officially welcome the new elephant on Friday." - however the only photograph illustrating the article is one of an elephant.....
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Are you sure?
I always thought that Ms Widdecome was somewhat elephantine, but because I have been very careful, I have not seen a recent photo of her.

Alan
 
Knowsley are building a new elephant house, they need the space while they are doing it and Noah's Ark have a good facility and need the experience with elephants. Both elephants will eventually go back to Knowsley.
 
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Kifaru Bwana said:
Any idea why has breeding stopped at Knowsley after the initial calves and breeding success there? :confused:
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Nissim just can't dominate the cows there - especially the older ladies they treat him like a calf!!
Also the facilities are too small to house any calves as they stand at the moment - they whole idea about letting Buta & Nissim go to Noah's is to allow the necessary work to be done then they will come back and the herd can begin to grow again. The statement on KSP's FB page clarifies their position, I've copied it here:

Hi everyone, we just wanted to let you all know about some changes to our elephant herd here at Knowsley. As part of our long-term future, we are developing some exciting plans for a brand new elephant house. The new house will embrace the latest research, development in elephant husbandry, and provide the highest welfare standards. As part of the development plan, bull elephant Nissim and 30-year-old female Buta are to be temporarily rehomed to Noah’s Ark in Bristol, to allow the team the additional space to work on the house and to give our remaining five African elephants the space to mix comfortably at Knowsley.

After months of dedicated hard work, Buta was transported on Thursday and you’ll be pleased to hear that the move was a great success! The use of protected training and the specially designed crate made sure that the journey was as comfortable as possible.

Our keepers will be maintaining their relationship with both elephants and continuing their protected contact training, by spending one week per month for the next two years at Noah’s Ark. They will be working in partnership with the ‘Elephant Eden’ keepers to ensure that the transition for Nissim and Buta to their new home and ultimately back to Knowsley Safari is a seamless one.

We'll be posting regular updates on Buta and Nissim here on our Facebook page to keep you all updated on how they're settling into their temporary home!
 
Not too sure I understand the logic of this move. Is the cow not part of a stable herd structure at Knowsley, and thus moving her away for two years unsetting the balance?
I see the logic with the bull, but depending on his age it might be be a big step into elephant keeping for Noah's Ark.
 
I think it is clear that Noah`s were very desperate to take on ANY available elephants, having created a large and expensive elephant exhibit, which would have been highly embarrassing if nobody had been willing to send any there. (Which actually seemed quite a likely possibility early on!).

But they obviously cannot begin to create a herd with the two animals on loan, but perhaps having had two already will then lead the way for others to follow later on, and it does give Noah`s some valuable elephant-keeping experience in the meantime of course.

Though it is a fair point, having two animals on a two year temporary loan,
whilst splitting up the established herd, is perhaps a little odd, but then again I think they saw their chance to re-evaluate their herd and use the time available to extend their current elephant housing also.
 
Nanook said:
but perhaps having had two already will then lead the way for others to follow later on, and it does give Noah`s some valuable lephant-keeping experience in the meantime of course.
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You're not the first to suggest they would have taken any elephants they could get.:) and I'm sure that is still true now also. Having a pair(soon) actually 'on the ground' will probably make it more likely that in future they will be able to get more, though while they have these, can they accomodate others if offered them?. Probably many EAZA zoos still won't deal with them but sooner or later they will get some more I think, though it might take time.
 
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Buta doesn't look likely to breed and she doesn't have any other family at Knowsley. I have no idea of the herd dynamics at Knowsley, but she might not be considered part of the herd by the other elephants, or even by herself.

Ideally they shouldn't be separated, but it's not like they are breaking up a mother and daughter forever.

Does anyone know anything about the herd dynamics at Knowsley?
 
Buta has company again! Press release just issued via Facebook:

We are delighted to announce that Janu, an adorable 9 year old bull elephant has arrived at Noah’s Ark today!

After lots of hard work and patience, we are now welcoming more elephants to Elephant Eden to accompany lovely Buta.

Janu is from Port Lympne Reserve in Kent and he will be joined shortly at Noah’s Ark by his current companion from Port Lympne, Kruger, a big mature bull. Kruger will join us this later autumn.

We will need to close the elephant barn during the day tomorrow as Janu settles in, but visitors can still catch a glimpse of him outside. Visitors will still be able to see Buta during the day.
We hope to reopen the barn during Friday. Please check our website or call us to check before visiting for the most up-to-date status
 
A great move for Noah's Ark. I am glad that Buta has company now and perhaps the chance to reproduce before long at Noah's.

This means I guess that Port Lympne will go out of African elephants.

I could see that male Kruger might end up at WMSP eventually?
 
I think that would depend on Kruger.

WMSP has a pretty nice setup for their elephants, but the security looks like it's dependent on the cooperation of the elephants.

I've only ever driven though it, not stopped to have a close look at all the fencing, but it looks like if an elephant really wanted to get out they could just bull through.

And it's pretty dependent on Free Contact to move elephant from the outer paddock to the inner one with the house.

If Kruger is gentle, used to free contact and not freaked out by convoys of yam-yams and brummies driving though his home, it would be great.
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Glad to see Buta's getting some company, finally.
 
Noah's Ark.....

I've not been to Noah's Ark, but surely nobody is going to manage an African (or indeed any) bull Elephant in free contact?
 
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