Little elephant is the first scientific recordof dwarfism in the wild
- Thread starter Gulo gulo
- Start date
What a strange looking animal !
mstickmanp
Well-Known Member
Without the second photo, the other three make the elephant almost look photoshopped!
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
This elephant perfectly fits the room 
It would be awesome to capture this guy for selective breeding, providing him with lot of young females... Why they care about albinos exclusively?!
Living in the wild, he's unable to compete with other bulls, and can be injured in a fight. Or poachers & poisoners will finish him.
And if dying in the wild, this unique specimen would be lost for research. Double shame.
The government should be persuaded to allow capture of the elephant, to ensure it will be safe. Not necessary in a zoo, but in a protected environment.
It would be awesome to capture this guy for selective breeding, providing him with lot of young females... Why they care about albinos exclusively?!
Living in the wild, he's unable to compete with other bulls, and can be injured in a fight. Or poachers & poisoners will finish him.
And if dying in the wild, this unique specimen would be lost for research. Double shame.
The government should be persuaded to allow capture of the elephant, to ensure it will be safe. Not necessary in a zoo, but in a protected environment.
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How strange! He would presumably be unable to mate cows in the wild successfully as his body shape is all wrong and he couldn't reach. Not sure if I think he is better left alone or be moved to a safer/secure environment to protect him. I don't think breeding from him would be a good thing though.
Having been in an 'aggressive' encounter with the other bull, and being in musth too, he looks very bad-tempered, especially in the last photo- having such short legs wouldn't make him any less dangerous, I guess.
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
If he remains in the wild, he never breeds and is very likely to perish. Captivity would give him the chance of having offspring, and safety. He's too cute and unusual to be left for mercy of natural selection, as well as every other handicapped endangered animal.
And who didn't dream about a pygmy elephant for your zoo?
The dream can become a reality. Just give some Bornean cows to this male, and wait for the calves.
White elephants are already bred in captivity. Pygmies can be the next step.
And who didn't dream about a pygmy elephant for your zoo?
The dream can become a reality. Just give some Bornean cows to this male, and wait for the calves.
White elephants are already bred in captivity. Pygmies can be the next step.
We would not *want* him breeding though!
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
Are you all against dwarf elephants roaming the earth once again?
He looks exactly like a fossil one! Why letting his genes die?
He looks exactly like a fossil one! Why letting his genes die?
This is a fully mature adult bull elephant that never had contact with humans and has lived in the wild ALL HIS LIFE. Bringing him into captivity would be incredibly traumatic for him and very, very dangerous for all humans involved. Capturing an adult elephants is a very cruel procedure that many elephant do not survive. Looking at these pictures, I am VERY happy to see that he has beat the odds and done very well for himself - he not only survived infanthood, but grew into a fat, very strong bull with plenty of muscles. Leave him alone!!
He may actually be able to breed young, small females. He surely looks determined and aggressive enough to convince the females to take him seriously.
He may actually be able to breed young, small females. He surely looks determined and aggressive enough to convince the females to take him seriously.
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
At least he should be radio-collared to avoid being lost forever outside protected area.
He looks exactly like a fossil one! Why letting his genes die?
He doesn't look quite the same. If you compared the skeletons, the true dwarf/fossil one has rather longer legs in relation to his body.
Not knowing his own shortcomings, I'm sure he tries. If he succeeds, the proof might be in a subsequent generation. While I hope he is protected(as with all Elephants) I'd definately prefer him not to be captured.
have you seen the House Hippo thread? We could have Lap-elephants. It would be great.
In that first photo does he remind anyone else of Mr. Snuffleupagus?
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
Sadly, this would never happen because of non-intervening policy (which has the exception for holy albinos only!)
Dwarf elephants and mammoths were species that gradually became smaller on islands over a long period of time, and had roughly the same proportions as full sized elephants, just on a much smaller scale.
This chap has Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. He has a large head and short limbs.
Not only has he survived being a dwarf, he's managed to deal with snares and being shot at. He must be one tough SOB and I think he should be left in the wild.
As cool as having a breed of dwarf elephants would be, it would be a waste of resources given how tricky breeding elephants is when they are normal sized.
This chap has Achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. He has a large head and short limbs.
Not only has he survived being a dwarf, he's managed to deal with snares and being shot at. He must be one tough SOB and I think he should be left in the wild.
As cool as having a breed of dwarf elephants would be, it would be a waste of resources given how tricky breeding elephants is when they are normal sized.
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
Breeding elephants is tricky mostly because you should have a group large enough in a decent space. With the elephants twice smaller in size, it would be much easier.
If somebody doesn't like this elephant, go show your hatred to owners of mini-horses & dachshunds, since those animals are 'suffering' every minute of their life, having wrong bodies.
If somebody doesn't like this elephant, go show your hatred to owners of mini-horses & dachshunds, since those animals are 'suffering' every minute of their life, having wrong bodies.
No one "hates" this animal. I find him totally faszinating since he has shown a really remarkable ability to survive and I wish he has a long and happy life.
But most members here don`t see any value in specifically breeding traits that exist in nature only occassionally and that usually mean the affected animals have much lesser chances of survival in the wild, be it albinos, dwarfs or something else. Modern zoos are not circusses and should not strive for sensations, but for science and conservation!
But most members here don`t see any value in specifically breeding traits that exist in nature only occassionally and that usually mean the affected animals have much lesser chances of survival in the wild, be it albinos, dwarfs or something else. Modern zoos are not circusses and should not strive for sensations, but for science and conservation!
Quite - there is a difference between "hating" an animal and merely not wanting to introduce a potentially harmful gene into the captive population. If the elephant in question lacked a trunk entirely and had a high risk of juvenile carcinoma, for instance, you would not want this perpetuating in zoos; so just because achondroplasia makes the elephant look "cute" we would not want a trait which causes a high level of heart disease and joint problems to enter the captive population!
Elephas Maximus
Well-Known Member
OK then, but collecting his DNA for study would be still interesting. And something should be done with the bullets in his flesh.
Asian elephant females are proven to be fertile from 4 years.
http://www.zoochat.com/2051/elephant-female-1-5-year-old-344153/
So maybe this guy would eventually sire some unique dwarf calves...
Btw does anyone remember amazing bulls Raja Gaj and Kancha, that looked like mammoths? Their mutation was much less dangerous indeed, and now they're gone.
Asian elephant females are proven to be fertile from 4 years.
http://www.zoochat.com/2051/elephant-female-1-5-year-old-344153/
So maybe this guy would eventually sire some unique dwarf calves...
Btw does anyone remember amazing bulls Raja Gaj and Kancha, that looked like mammoths? Their mutation was much less dangerous indeed, and now they're gone.