Elephants in Zoos

loxodontaafrica said:
just a small correction- Spike is actually not from circus stock, he was sired by Dhalip, and a since deceased female at the Miami Metro Zoo.

I've heard that Juliet has an irregular hormonal cycle- as well as the fact the the younger females on the "blue circuit" have been actively AI'd for some years now.
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I'm sorry if I misunderstood this. Dhalip and Seetna were both with Ringling for several years n the early 1990s, right up to her death, and I associated them with being "Ringling stock." Dahlip's still alive in Miami. Both Spike and Dahlip's genes would be very valuable.

I've been eager to find out more about the Ringling girls. I couldn't believe they weren't utilizing 9 girls of breeding age, yet there have now been no births since Mike in 2013. Have there been births that resulted in EEHV? No conceptions? One couldn't ask for someone more expert on AI than Dennis Schmidt. Is anyone pregnant right now?
Where did Rajah go? Don't they need him for the Vance granddaughters/Charlie and Romeo daughters?

We're seeing the Blue Tour on Sunday in a venue that offers the Animal Open House. Hopefully I can find out who the Blue 5 are as well as the remaining 8. I know Baby and Karen retired in the last year, and I suspect that Juliet, Kelly Ann, Asia, April, and Piper may be on the road.
 
AmbikaFan said:
One couldn't ask for someone more expert on AI than Dennis Schmidt. Is anyone pregnant right now?
Where did Rajah go? Don't they need him for the Vance granddaughters/Charlie and Romeo daughters?

We're seeing the Blue Tour on Sunday in a venue that offers the Animal Open House. Hopefully I can find out who the Blue 5 are as well as the remaining 8. I know Baby and Karen retired in the last year, and I suspect that Juliet, Kelly Ann, Asia, April, and Piper may be on the road.
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Lol, coincidentally we haven't heard anything on the Blue tour girls because their on the road AI doctor is none other than Dennis Schmidt...
Juliet, Kelly Ann, and Asha before heading to Tulsa, were all AI'd on the road.
Also according to an ex-employee of Ringling, I believe you are correct in your guess for the Blue Tour roster! Let me know if you find out it's been adjusted!

Rajah is at the Two Tails Ranch, he arrived in January, 2012.
He lives there with 1,4 other Asian elephants. He and Casey both have a reproductive abnormality (whether it be behavioral, hormonal, or physiological) preventing them from successfully siring calves.

And as for pregnancies, it's very hush hush, but I believe there are some buns in the oven so to speak.
in 2013 they claimed there were three pregnant females... perhaps it was still early and precarious for several of those pregnancies listed- and perhaps that announcement included cows who are slated to give birth by the end of this year... I recall the name Icky II coming up as having been bred successfully in 2013.

Shirley is also expecting her next calf in September of 2016. Sired by Charlie.
 
I'm sorry if I misunderstood this. Dhalip and Seetna were both with Ringling for several years n the early 1990s, right up to her death, and I associated them with being "Ringling stock." Dahlip's still alive in Miami. Both Spike and Dahlip's genes would be very valuable.
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They were never with Ringling. After Hurricane Andrew, Dahlip and Seetna were sent up to Two Tails Ranch until they could be returned to the zoo. Ringling has contracted with Two Tails Ranch in the past to house elephants, breed elephants, and employ the owners to manage/train/exhibit show elephants.
 
loxodontaafrica said:
Lol, coincidentally we haven't heard anything on the Blue tour girls because their on the road AI doctor is none other than Dennis Schmidt...
Juliet, Kelly Ann, and Asha before heading to Tulsa, were all AI'd on the road.
Also according to an ex-employee of Ringling, I believe you are correct in your guess for the Blue Tour roster! Let me know if you find out it's been adjusted!

Rajah is at the Two Tails Ranch, he arrived in January, 2012.
He lives there with 1,4 other Asian elephants. He and Casey both have a reproductive abnormality (whether it be behavioral, hormonal, or physiological) preventing them from successfully siring calves.

And as for pregnancies, it's very hush hush, but I believe there are some buns in the oven so to speak.
in 2013 they claimed there were three pregnant females... perhaps it was still early and precarious for several of those pregnancies listed- and perhaps that announcement included cows who are slated to give birth by the end of this year... I recall the name Icky II coming up as having been bred successfully in 2013.

Shirley is also expecting her next calf in September of 2016. Sired by Charlie.
Click to expand...

We had a great time seeing the Ringling elephants in Worcester, MA on Sunday, and the Animal Open House offered a truly up-close chance to see all the animals. Surprise--there were 6, not 5, girls on the tour! Juliet, Bonnie, and Kelly Ann were there and had recently been AI'd by Dennis Schmidt. Nichole was there for the role of the mammoth, and Karen had returned from recent retirement, apparently missing her lifelong trainer. Young 14-year-old Sara was also in the show, although she knew so many fewer behaviors that I wonder if she's just now being trained to be on tour. Got a lot of great information and was able to see how very well cared for they are.

No one was sure about Icky being pregnant, so perhaps she lost her calf. It seems Juliet's problem is that she gets pregnant, but gradually resorbs the fetus as it develops. Gerenuc was right about Asha eventually returning to Tulsa; she has travelled there with her great companion Tova for three weeks (and possible more AI?), but she is slated to return to FL until Tova becomes adjusted "to the lay of the land" and feels comfortable with their two older females. Then, presumably, Asha will return. At least one major zoo turned down the offer of a female from Ringling, presumably to avoid bad publicity--it's unconscionable with the current state of maintaining the population.

I particularly loved seeing Bonnie in person. She is clearly a Vance girl, a female version of the magnificent and beautifully boned Hank, her half brother! Half-sister Kelly isn't as huge, but has an incredibly beautiful face to go with her diva-like personality. Juliet seems more serious, but was the one who immediately came over to my daughter, where they exchanged some unspoken--yet clearly visible--conversation for several minutes. Sara seems almost a bit uncomfortable performing, but she could well be needed as a "swing" if any of the girls' AI's were to be successful, so her training now seems like a good idea. They are all clearly content and loved.

Quite busy lately. Any word on Kandula's departure? One of those early closures for the special events would be an ideal time for them to bring in the large equipment they will need. He's got so much swag and personality and won't be easily forgotten.
 
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