MARK
Well-Known Member
Do you mean at both zoos?
Do you mean at both zoos?
normaeinstein
Active Member
Yep, at both zoos.
It is my dream that they will one day move the elephants from Melbourne to Werribee. That would be wonderful for the animals but, of course, not so wonderful for the paying Melbourne zoo visitor. But they never will seeing they spent so much on trail of the elephants.
How many more elephants do you think they can fit in there?
MARK
Well-Known Member
Maybe there could be plans to expand both exhibits later if needed?
I have not seen these elephant exhibits and can not say how many elephants they can carry, try contacting both zoos and see if they can help you with your questions about this.
It could be possible to send the female herd to Werribee and keep the exhibit at Melbourne for bachelor males.
I think that we could split the Melbourne herd into two smaller herds. This often happens during the day when there will be two females each in two of the enclosures and Bong-Su in the third enclosure.
Maybe in ten years or so when these babies are weaned and the mothers will be having their second offspring MZ could keep dokkoon with Mek Kepah at Melbourne with any female babies Dokkoon has had and then move the other two to Werribee or Perth.
Maybe in ten years or so when these babies are weaned and the mothers will be having their second offspring MZ could keep dokkoon with Mek Kepah at Melbourne with any female babies Dokkoon has had and then move the other two to Werribee or Perth.
MARK
Well-Known Member
Ten years between babies
, They should be able to breed each cow every four years or so, it is important to the regions breeding program to produce a number of calfs as it's getting difficult to import these animals.I feel splitting the females in not in the best interest of the animals the cows should be left together as a family as they would be in the wild, The zoo could if they wanted move the females out to Werribee as a bonded herd and use Melbourne zoo for the bulls if needed or maybe Melbourne might be able to expand the elephant exhibit if possible?.
it absolutely inevitable that a second elephant facility will be built at werribee with the next 5 or 6 years. there simply isn't enough room at melbourne and i don't see victoria giving up any of it female elephants to another interstate zoo anytime soon.
logic should prevail and we will most likely see the growing female herd remain intact at the open range campus. i think there will be some pressure both internally and from the public not to split the elephants. that would leave melbourne free to accommodate up to three adult bulls. however, an alternative may be that there is no permanent arrangement at either zoo. instead animals are frequently moved between the zoos for breeding, stimulation and for display. though its certainly not my preference - the idea that a pregnant cow from werribee be moved to the city to take advantage of the display potential of her and her calf at melbourne may not be that far fetched. and elephants, not being stupid animals could become quite easily conditioned to being frequently moved and placed in different combinations of the one greater family. the zoo could easily fit out an vehicle for safe, cheap and effective elephant transport.
i think what the keepers are going to want is flexibility to manage the elephants in a way that takes into account changing dynamics of the group due to breeding, sex ratios, age etc..
perth absolutely needs to have some sort of success soon. if they can start breeding their younger female then eventually they will be free able to build up a herd by keeping the female calfs.
taronga has the option of dubbo assuming that the africans will have died in 10 years. with dubbo so far away from sydney i think they are very likely to split their herd and have breeding groups at both zoos.
australia zoo will likely be loaned surplus bulls at first until the regional population becomes so big that females become less of a value to the individual zoos. still, its highly likely that they will be elephantless for a period of time.
auckland will build up their own herd with an import.
thats my speculative theory.
logic should prevail and we will most likely see the growing female herd remain intact at the open range campus. i think there will be some pressure both internally and from the public not to split the elephants. that would leave melbourne free to accommodate up to three adult bulls. however, an alternative may be that there is no permanent arrangement at either zoo. instead animals are frequently moved between the zoos for breeding, stimulation and for display. though its certainly not my preference - the idea that a pregnant cow from werribee be moved to the city to take advantage of the display potential of her and her calf at melbourne may not be that far fetched. and elephants, not being stupid animals could become quite easily conditioned to being frequently moved and placed in different combinations of the one greater family. the zoo could easily fit out an vehicle for safe, cheap and effective elephant transport.
i think what the keepers are going to want is flexibility to manage the elephants in a way that takes into account changing dynamics of the group due to breeding, sex ratios, age etc..
perth absolutely needs to have some sort of success soon. if they can start breeding their younger female then eventually they will be free able to build up a herd by keeping the female calfs.
taronga has the option of dubbo assuming that the africans will have died in 10 years. with dubbo so far away from sydney i think they are very likely to split their herd and have breeding groups at both zoos.
australia zoo will likely be loaned surplus bulls at first until the regional population becomes so big that females become less of a value to the individual zoos. still, its highly likely that they will be elephantless for a period of time.
auckland will build up their own herd with an import.
thats my speculative theory.
Jesse
Well-Known Member
i think the risk of the animal not standing within a short period of time to suckle is to great. slings just make the job easier. lifting a newborn foal is hard enough.
i agree with you pheonix. in the long run the elephants should be rotated. mark is also 100% right, WORZ needs to pull their heads out of the clouds and start expanding from their mindset on african animals.
Jesse
Well-Known Member
im not saying that lifting the animals is alright nor am i saying that it is wrong. then again animals in cages are not what nature intended either.
that applies to all animals whether it be a mouse or an elephant
Genetics wise I think it is important that Gung, Bong Su and Putra Mas all have several sons each, as well as a large number of daughters. With three male lines in the region the breeding herd need not be inbred, nor new males brought in, for 50 years at least. Is there any news that the third female at Melbourne could be bred soon?