Melbourne Zoo It's a girl!

what are the things around her legs then

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I hope she's not chained. She should be able to move alongside with the calf.
 
in the first photo it looks like theres some resistance, with the anklet going into the skin. Now all we need is a photo of someone with an Ankus in the background and the Greens will be all over it!
 
What a darling she is. Can't wait to see her!
The keepers love them both, I can't see them doing anything cruel!
If she's chained, it must be for a good reason
 
normaeinstein said:
If she's chained, it must be for a good reason
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from watching "Dokkoon's Baby" she was also manually tethered during labour. Many experts are against this, though it provides some restraint as first time mothers often attack their calves. Dokkoon was great though behaved very well and held it together better than Thong Dee.
 
Elephants are nearly always chained in situations like this. There is nothing wrong with chaining elephants in a variety of situations, only when it is done excessively. I believe it is important for elephants to be chained occasionally just in case the need to chain them arises in the future.
 
I suppose the chains are just to check that she will not harm the calf. They must have been there only for the protection of the calf
 
But surley if she kills the calf its a natural response/learning curve for a Young female elephant?
 
I can :) But what more could PETA/Libbers want? Its a natural behaviour, would make for a great natural behaviour shown in the circus style shows. LOL
 
In all the documentaries on elephants that I have seen (which is how we are supposed to view animals, not in the flesh). Not once have can I remember being told that first time mothers could kill their calves. That is something I've learned through zoos.
 
i think the zoos rightly want to protect their investment. they have a lot riding on the first births being successful.

but like i said when tarongas calf was born - chains, harness', people standing around whilst the other elephants are in a separate stall. its all a bit sad really. we seem to have forgot that they have done it on their own for a million odd years..

by the way, its been ages since i have had a good elephant debate. and i'm still as polarised than ever. i started a fight in the india forum. no bites as yet. feel free to take a swing! :)
 
And they should protect investments, after all these elephants are never going to be re-introduced into the wild, so are here for commercial gain?
It was a great Investment for the Businesses of Taronga and Melbourne to raise these elephants in this way. A guaranteed boost in numbers!
 
When my daughter was born there were harness', machines and a heap of people standing around. The only thing missing were the chains.:D
All theses things help ensure a safe birth. If the zoos have the equipment to help any animal deliver a healthy baby and to care for the health of the mother during birth, why not use them? I don't think it's sad.
 
jay said:
In all the documentaries on elephants that I have seen (which is how we are supposed to view animals, not in the flesh). Not once have can I remember being told that first time mothers could kill their calves. That is something I've learned through zoos.
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That is because it doesn't happen in Wild elephants. This is a 'zoo only' phenomenum- caused where a pregnant elephant has not been kept in a social group which contains other mothers & calves- so has not witnessed births or been in longterm contact with other babies etc. So the unfamiliarity of the process can, in fairly rare instances, lead to panic and aggression. It isn't natural behaviour.
 
Do elephants become dependent on human intervention in raising young?

Like how some pairs of Parrots wont raise chicks after the age you would normally pull the young for hand raising.
 
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