Zoo Atlanta Elephants Die

snowleopard

snowleopard

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An email from Zoo Atlanta, who are in the middle of constructing a "calf pen" for the expected baby elephant:

October 28, 2008

Dear Zoo Atlanta Members and subscribers,

We are very saddened to report to you the sudden and unexpected loss last night of 26-year-old African elephant Dottie. Many of you have been following her pregnancy during the last several months, and the sudden loss of this wonderful animal and her unborn calf is tragic and heartbreaking for us all.

Dottie's health had begun declining last week, and she was on antibiotics to treat unexplained weight loss, cloudy urine and decreased protein levels in her blood. Her health and behavior were closely monitored, as with all of the Zoo's animals, but her death last night was unexpected. As recently as October 24th during a routine ultrasound Dottie still had a viable pregnancy. The exact cause of her death has not been determined.

Dottie was one of three African elephants at Zoo Atlanta. She has been at Zoo Atlanta with Tara and Kelly since November 1986. “I know our veterinary and animal management team worked diligently to ensure she received the best care and treatment possible. This is especially sad for us because Dottie was pregnant with her first calf,” said Dennis Kelly , President and CEO. “We will miss her here at Zoo Atlanta.”

As our greatest fans and supporters, we wanted you to know as soon as the news was released. We share your grief and thank you for keeping us in your thoughts.

Sincerely,

The Zoo Atlanta Membership team
 
Now the zoo is left with 2 female African elephants in a 1,400 sq. meter exhibit that was built almost exactly 20 years ago. The keepers exercise the animals daily due to the small size of the enclosure, but the red mud and rocks make it seem a better habitat than it actually is. I'm not sure how much has already been spent on baby-proofing the exhibit, and my guess is that the zoo will stick with its two females and leave things as they are. Zoo Atlanta already fell through last year in their plans to leave the current 35-acre property and construct another zoo nearby...but they at least still have their giant pandas to bring in the crowds.
 
It really does not get more depressing. Its very sad that she died in the first place, but the fact that she was pregnant with a calf makes things more depressing. Now, all the IDA are going to start adding this list to the zoos that they attack for no reason. This zoo, Woodland Park, and St. Louis are constantly attacked for no reason. For things they cannot prevent. The enclosures at all of these facilities are above average.
 
Its true that there are above average, though animal rights activists no matter how large the exhibit is will probably alwaysa try to find flaws a rebut against it, for example the case at Taronga zoo. They do have a valid point yes but as you see, successful breeding does take plave and in some zoos very successfully,
 
Yeah... the holding of elephants in zoos continue to be a sad story. God Bless those elephants who in the end found their way to these two sanctuaries in California and Tennessee! More than any other individual - of course - I think of Maggie from Alaska!!!!!

And then I am only talking about the North America zoo elephants. I guess I am "glad" not to "know too much" about elephants in Asian zoos...
 
it is a big shame in Asian zoo's yes, mainly because the " they belong in the wild" is even more stronger there mainly because they can be shipped back to the wild fairly quickly though animal are really strong in particular countires because of religion, there are serveral elephant sanctuaries like Kuala Gandah, BLES, The elelphant Nature foundation ( elephant haven) and more,

I guess we can just try our best to help,
 
BlackRhino,

No. It is just that a portion of our forumsters feel elephants should not be in zoos at all on space and welfare grounds. I do not agree with that contention, nor do I feel the proposed elephant sanctuaries out of public view and scrutiny are a good alternative.

To me, it is elitist to think that elephants will only survive happily if we take them off public exhibition in zoos, put them in sanctuaries and sit back, watch elephant docs and wait for improvements in the prospects of wild elephants. It is even more delusionary to think that by relying on this ethic the prospects for wild elephants might improve or that their status in the wild is anything other only just surviving in protected areas (some only on paper) enclosed on all sides by human habitation or fenced reserves.

Zoos have not just an recreational role (for which PETA and all other animal welfare activists often attack for viciously and with plenty of vitriol), but increasinly an educational role and one in conservation breeding. The educational aspect is a major reason why mega vertebrates like elephants are exhibitted in our zoos. Besides, as projections on elephant numbers and populations in our zoos have shown, we need to increase our efforts to increase their numbers in captivity and space allocated to them (allthough not at the expense of other endangered species and the overall education aspects of each in the tree of life).

As okapikpr will testify elephant breeding in US/Canadian zoos cooperating within the SSP is a relatively recent development. Most zoos still have disjunct elephant social groupings and need to assemble all elephants and integrate those with reasonable prospects for breeding into functioning socially conducive elephant groups (this by co-opting the successful elephant breeding strategies at zoos like Columbus, Ohio, Portland, Oregon, Syracuse, NY and St. Louis, Missouri and Houston, Texas + the Ringling Bros. facility at Polk City, Fla. These zoos should have access to a "proven" bull at their facility.

Those that cannot be maintained in these set ups would ideally be sent to zoos able to provide housing for flatliner cows and non-breeding individuals. In future, when the SSP elephant programme shows sufficient growth facilities must be built to accomodate bachelor herds of young bulls that are too old to be maintained with their family group and yet too inexperienced to become a breeding bull.

If you just would carefully look at the thread on this topic set up by okapikpr re SSP elephant breeding, you would find a good deal of helpful further information.

As for elephant breeding and welfare: admittedly the cooperative breeding programmes in Europe are far more advanced in natural breeding of elephants than our US counterparts. The Asian elephant breeding programme is not yet self sustaining (for that goal we require 12-15 births per year), but an increasing number of zoos have socially adept family groups of related individuals, the number of annual births is hoovering over the 9-10 mark and facilities exist to accomodate elderly, flatliner and bachelor elephant groups. The African programme is younger and on the whole has a more healthy sex ratio and young population, yet breeding needs to be promoted more vigorously. To this end, the current species coordinator is being helped out by a secondant who both take on resp. for a reproductively healthy and balanced captive African elephant population in Europe. On top of all that, quite a few European zoos with major elephant breeding programmes fund entire in situ conservation projects that deal with securing elephant habitats, mitigating human-elephant conflicts and connecting PA's through building corridors as well as scientific research into habitat requirements, ecology and social environments of elephants in the wild.

All I am just saying there is a future for elephants in zoos in improved social groupings and with successful and sustained breeding in captivity.
 
Don't forget the San Diego Wild Animal Park has a very functional herd and they have had three calves in the past three years.
 
Yeah your right many zoos are pretty successful in breeding, but animal activists have argued that more successfull breeding could of taken place in the wild.
e.g a herd is usually made up of around 15-20, ( average) and so there is about 8 elephants that are at breeding age, and are able to breed depending on the status,
then a bull will come along inpregnant as much cows as he can and then move on to other herds as well. So as opposed to one bull is surronding just one herd,

Its a little hard to explain well, I'm sorry,

The main point they are just trying to get across I think is that breeding yes is successful in zoos sometimes but in the wild it is always better,
Then again they are at risk to human attacks,
 
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