Auckland Zoo elephants in the future at Auckland

I think that's a great idea to have an established herd in New zealand and a quite moderately large so there is several births every now and then. Then again if its the only zoo that has elephants in a country you should probably have the displayed as naturally as possible! ;)
 
I see that one of the councillers who is also on the zoo board says that it is ok for elephants to live on their own. One of the perils of having people who know nothing about animals making the decisions.
 
From the article Zooplantman found it sounds like they are gonna wait until one of the females dies before they bother to source new animals.
To me it would make more sense to get new elephants now because they will only need to get 4 new ones instead of 5.
 
There are some extremely interesting decisions to be made in New Zealand, and the "large herd of elephants or zero elephants" announcement could cost tens of millions of dollars or next to nothing. Also, at the Australia Zoo near Brisbane there are 3 aging female elephants that won't last more than another decade...and so that leaves Sydney, Melbourne and Perth with potentially viable breeding herds to be transferred across Australasia. The fairly recent Sydney & Melbourne decisions to bring elephants into the country was an enormously expensive and controversial undertaking that has worked out well overall, but with Auckland Zoo currently undergoing their most expensive expansion in their history ($16 million or so) can that zoo really create the infrastructure and cost that comes along with 6 elephants? The global economic woes won't help the situation...
 
snowleopard said:
There are some extremely interesting decisions to be made in New Zealand, and the "large herd of elephants or zero elephants" announcement could cost tens of millions of dollars or next to nothing. The global economic woes won't help the situation...
Click to expand...

Auckland Zoo originally looked into being a part of the import programme along with the Australian zoos. Unfortunately the male identified was unsuitable and the costs of creating a new enclosure was prohibitive. If the Zoo is to increase its ele herd size then it would be a major strategic decision and one that would have ramifications for the next decade. Realistically redeveloping the current ele enclosure and acquiring the additional animals is not something the Zoo could do until Te Wao Nui is at least partly underway - there is only so much the team at the Zoo can take on at any one point. I would imagine that a decision will be made in the next few years, though I am confident that the Zoo m'ment team already have a viable plan(s) for the various contingencies - i.e. Council says yes go and get some more eles, Kashin dies suddenly, Council says no to more eles.

There is so much the Zoo wants to do and its a case of balancing competing priorities - the physical resources available, the financial implications, the regional breeding programme requirements, existing redevelopment programmes and of course Council politics.
 
It doesn't help when the people making the decisions seem to know nothing about what animals require. If that councillor says that it is ok for elephants (especially females) to live alone then he is going to be in for a rude shock. It would be great if Auckland Zoo could create an elephant breeding herd but realistically it would be better to have none. I'm confident that the zoo and its staff have the best interests of its animals, its the councillors that worry me.
 
NZ is apparently teetering on recession at the moment, and as snow leopard pointed out the global economic crisis will have ramifications for zoo projects.
the ASMP for Asian elephants would be greatly enhanced by New Zealand involvement which was a factor in its formulation, but not critcal. Australia Zoo, Taronga, Melbourne and Perth would represent a viable program in their own right.
on the other hand, if the elephant development in Auckland went ahead along the lines proposed with a large herd then it is a sound proposal, good for elephants and probably for the zoo too from extra gate receipts.
realistically, the new zealand and australasian precincts are probably the greatest priority atm.
 
I am not sure if one would have to be so pleased about retaining elephants at Auckland Zoo. A new elephant exhibit for a breeding herd is a costly affair and not likely to happen - the current cash crunch is not relevant here ... I am speaking generally-!

I think daveb hit the nail on the head to suggest/infer that major priorities lie elsewhere, including the Te Wao Nui - which I think would be major advance for the zoo - and the Australasian precinct. And they should lie elsewhere ...!

Besides I feel the zoo could well do without elephants and concentrate on other mega vertebrates from the Australasian region like Sumatran tiger and - if ARAZPA really makes an effort - f.i. Malayan tapir and siamang.

I hope zoo management is not led astray by Council or ignorant Councillors ... :( and makes an informed decision on this proposal for a proposal.
 
Ha ha, the deputy mayor David Hay is probably from one of Auckland's richest families that owns a huge company called Keith Hay Homes, I'm sure he could front the money on his onesy's...
 
ahaha yeah perhaps he should use his money on the support of elephants rather on onesys support! (scarcasm) ;)
 
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