Melbourne Zoo Melbourne Zoo news 2016

A female calf was born yesterday, but has a congenital condition preventing her from standing.

Story here: Asian Elephant Calf Birth | Zoos Victoria

Asian Elephant Num-Oi gave birth to a female calf yesterday morning. Although the birth itself went smoothly the calf was born with a congenital condition preventing her from standing.

Melbourne Zoo’s Head Vet Dr. Michael Lynch says that the condition called Congenital Carpal Flexure is preventing the calf from straightening the ankles on her two front feet, so she can’t stand up.

Although this condition is thought to be rare in Asian Elephants, it is not uncommon in foals. Melbourne Zoo has called on assistance from colleagues at the Melbourne University Veterinary School.

Equine specialists came in last night to examine the calf and splinted both front legs in an effort to correct the problem.

Dr. Lynch explains that not being able to stand means that the calf has not been able to suckle from mother, Num-Oi, so keepers are milking her in order to bottle feed the baby.

Caring for the calf is a huge challenge, with a variety of potential problems.

Keepers and vets are in the barn around the clock attending to the needs of both the calf and Num-Oi.

Although the calf is receiving the best possible care, the outcome of this situation is still uncertain.
Click to expand...
 
Upon researching about congenital carpal flexure it appears that it can be successfully treated in puppies (although an elephant is just a tad different to a puppy!) so hoping the all goes well and the vets work their magic :).
 
Num-Oi’s newborn elephant fighting for life at Melbourne Zoo

No Cookies | Herald Sun
A NEWBORN elephant is receiving critical care after being born with a congenital condition at Melbourne zoo yesterday.


The rare condition prevents the baby calf from standing which means the newborn has been unable to feed from its mother, Num-Oi since its birth on Wednesday morning.

Keepers and vets have resorted to bottle feeding the Asian elephant while specialists splinted both its front legs in an effort to correct the problem.

Judith Henke, a spokeswoman for the zoo said that keepers were doing everything possible for the calf and Num-Oi’s welfare.

“Caring for the calf is a huge challenge, with a variety of potential problems,” Ms Henke said.


“As this is such a rare condition, the situation has the potential to change at any time,” she said.
A statement released by the zoo this afternoon said the elephant’s fate was uncertain, but staff remained optimistic.

In 2013, one of the zoo’s most popular animals, 11 month old elephant Sanook, died after becoming entangled in an inflatable tyre, prompting an outpouring of grief from the public and zoo staff.
 
Astrobird said:
The rare condition prevents the baby calf from standing which means the newborn has been unable to feed from its mother, Num-Oi since its birth on Wednesday morning.
Click to expand...

I saw a T.V. documentary on wild African Elephants a few years back where a calf was born in a herd and appeared to have this same condition- it could not stand at all, but managed to do so of its own accord after about three days. I believe it survived.
 
An update on the calf has been released. There have been no photos of the calf released.

Story here: Asian Elephant Calf Update | Zoos Victoria

The Asian Elephant calf born at Melbourne Zoo on Wednesday is still under intensive round-the-clock care.

Melbourne Zoo Head Vet Dr. Michael Lynch says that there has been some improvement in the congenital condition which is preventing her from standing.

He explains that the casts placed on her two front legs late on Wednesday have reduced the Congenital Carpal Flexure which is restricting her from putting her front feet flat on the ground to bear her weight.

Dr. Lynch says some improvement was visible after the casts were removed this morning, so two new casts were put on this afternoon.

The situation will be reassessed on Monday, and the casts may be removed and possibly replaced on Monday or Tuesday.

He says that the calf drank well overnight and this morning, and she appeared stronger than previously. She is being offered a 500ml bottle every two hours, making 12 bottles every 24 hours.

Dr. Lynch explains that this is still very early days in the care of the calf, and Vets and Keepers will continue to monitor the situation around the clock.

Dr. Lynch would like to acknowledge the expert assistance of two equine veterinary specialists, Dr. Liz Walmsley of the Melbourne University Veterinary School at Werribee and Dr. Angus Atkins of the Scone Veterinary Hospital, currently based at Werribee.

He explains that this condition is rare in elephants but found more often in foals, so their experience in treating it has been invaluable in the effort to get the calf up on her feet.

Trail of the Elephant Manager Dominic Moss says that mother Num-Oi is behaving calmly today, and she remains very attentive towards her calf. The Keepers are making every effort to support the strong maternal bond that still exists between mother and calf, in spite of the separation required to provide veterinary care for the calf.

Caring for the calf continues to be a huge challenge, with a variety of potential problems.

Although the calf is receiving the best possible care, the outcome of this situation is still uncertain.
Click to expand...
 
New update:

Our baby elephant at Melbourne Zoo has shown some signs of improvement in her legs, but she is still unable to stand or feed from mum Num-Oi.
The calf is being fed a combination of artificial elephant milk formula and milk from mum. There are potential problems with hand-raising Asian Elephant calves using milk formula, and unfortunately our calf has developed an infection.
Vets are keeping her hydrated and administering antibiotics through an intravenous drip, as well as continuing to provide round-the-clock care.
Learn more at zoo.org.au/news/asian-elephant-calf-update
Click to expand...
 
I'm guessing since there was initially difficulty in milking Num-Oi, that the calf didn't receive colustrum which probably isn't helping it's cause.

Nobody has mentioned so far the significance of this calf being a female, especially since it was conceived through AI, which usually produces male calves.

Dokoon has a 2.5 year old calf, is he fully weaned or is Dokoon still lactating and in a position to be milked?
 
And not only that, but both both parents, Putra Mas and Num-Oi, are completely un-represented in the population!

Hopefully all will work out for the little calve and she can return to her mother shortly.
 
Hyak_II said:
And not only that, but both both parents, Putra Mas and Num-Oi, are completely un-represented in the population!

Hopefully all will work out for the little calve and she can return to her mother shortly.
Click to expand...


Melbourne Zoo have been really good at answering everyone's questions on Facebook. They were discussing the interaction/lack of interaction the calf has had with the herd as being due to their protected contact policy. Any treatment the calf receives therefore requires it's separation from Num-Oi. They said Num-Oi is able to see the calf, and Kulab is being kept with Num-Oi for company. From what I've heard, Kulab is the adult female Num-Oi is closest with in the herd.

Really hoping for a successful outcome for Num-Oi's calf. It's birth seems to have provoked surprisingly little attention on these forums, but it's clear from Facebook that there's a lot of support from people.

I wish Num-Oi, her calf and the team the best of luck.
 
Last edited:
Zoofan15 said:
I'm guessing since there was initially difficulty in milking Num-Oi, that the calf didn't receive colustrum which probably isn't helping it's cause.

Nobody has mentioned so far the significance of this calf being a female, especially since it was conceived through AI, which usually produces male calves.

Dokoon has a 2.5 year old calf, is he fully weaned or is Dokoon still lactating and in a position to be milked?
Click to expand...

I think in the video I posted above, the vet said that the mother was successfully milked on day one, but not day two, so the calf should have received some colustrum. When they couldn't milk her, another calf suckled to relieve pressure. Sounds like they are now managing to milk her somewhat as the articles state the calf is getting a mix of mother and formula milk.
 
zooboy28 said:
I think in the video I posted above, the vet said that the mother was successfully milked on day one, but not day two, so the calf should have received some colustrum. When they couldn't milk her, another calf suckled to relieve pressure. Sounds like they are now managing to milk her somewhat as the articles state the calf is getting a mix of mother and formula milk.
Click to expand...

That's good to know the calf would have had some colostrum to help fight infections. It must be a very confusing and distressing experience for Num-Oi. I'm not saying the zoo should revalutate their position on protected contact with the elephants but in this case, being able to go in with Num-Oi would allow her to remain with the calf, like **** Tip was with Pathi Harn in 2010.

It's good Perth Zoo are able to feel involved with this birth, having a non breeding herd and missing out on the excitement of the previous births in our region. They've been posting updates on their Facebook page too.
 
And another update:

Our baby elephant at Melbourne Zoo remains in critical care but has shown more energy today with some signs of improvement.
Vets removed a cast on her right leg and placed a cast on her left leg. The casts are aimed at correcting the tendon problem affecting the calf’s front legs that prevents her from standing and from suckling from mum.
The calf is being bottle-fed a mixture of milk from mum Num-Oi and an elephant milk formula every two hours.
The care team’s major priority continues to be to nurture the bond between Num-Oi and her calf, with introduction sessions being held each day for the two to touch each other. Num-Oi can also see and hear her calf for most of the time, except for her brief outings from the barn into the paddock.
Thank you again for all of your support during this time. For more information visit zoo.org.au/news/asian-elephant-calf-update
Click to expand...
 
Seems like progress with the calf's legs has been minimal, and complications from limited mother's milk are developing. :(

Updates are posted ~daily here: Asian Elephant Calf Update | Zoos Victoria

The condition of the Asian Elephant Calf being given round-the-clock care in the Melbourne Zoo’s Elephant Barn remains critical.

She was born last Wednesday with a tendon problem in her two front legs which has prevented her from standing unassisted.

As this condition is found in foals, the Zoo’s Vet team has called upon the expertise of equine vets from the University of Melbourne to place casts on the calf’s legs in an effort to stretch the tendons so she can place her feet flat on the ground to bear her weight.

As a result of not being able to stand as yet, the calf has not been able to suckle from her mother, Num-Oi, which has led to other problems.

Keepers have been able to obtain some milk from Num-Oi, but not enough to supply the calf with sufficient nutrition without the addition of an artificial formula which Asian Elephant calves find difficult to digest.

Melbourne Zoo Senior Veterinarian Dr. Helen McCracken says that today has been ‘a bit of an up and down day’ in the Elephant Barn.

‘The calf didn’t drink as well as we would have liked overnight on Thursday, so we needed to give her some intravenous glucose this morning to adjust her blood sugar level, as well as to manage her fluid needs.

‘Consequently she has not been as energetic today as she was yesterday, but Keepers did facilitate a social session between the calf and her mother Num-Oi.’

Maintaining the mother/calf bond is a top priority, as the aim is to get the calf up on her feet and reunited with Num-Oi.

Melbourne Zoo staff, in particular the Trail of the Elephants Keepers and the Veterinary team, are very heartened at this difficult time by the kind messages coming from throughout the community.
Click to expand...
 
The elephant calf is still in a critical condition, although her front right leg is no longer being put in a cast, with just the left leg posing problems. However, there are significant issues with feeding, and these now seem to be the main issue.

Update here: Asian Elephant Calf Update | Zoos Victoria

The Asian Elephant calf continues to be in critical condition and is under round-the-clock care in the Elephant Barn at Melbourne Zoo.

Melbourne Zoo Head Veterinarian Dr. Michael Lynch says that the calf is currently not bottle feeding well: ‘She’s only taking about half the nutrition we would like her to take from the bottles, which are made up of 20% milk from her mother Num-Oi and 80% from an artificial elephant milk formula.’

He explains that ‘trying to keep up her nutrition is our challenge, and we are relying heavily on an intravenous drip to provide both fluid and some nutrition.’

Dr. Lynch says that ‘We know that it is extremely difficult to hand-raise Asian Elephant calves, and this situation has been complicated in that the calf still cannot stand. Her lack of activity is hampering normal digestion and therefore appetite.’

As connection to the i/v drip somewhat inhibits the calf’s movement, today the plan is to disconnect it at intervals and carry out physio while she is disconnected from the drip.

Staff are focused on assisting the calf to maintain and build muscle strength as the key to her survival is having adequate mobility once her contracted tendons are corrected, so she can stand and suckle from Num-Oi.

The calf currently has just the left fore leg in a cast and this will be reassessed later this week.
Click to expand...
 
Today's update on the calf, with casts to be placed on both front legs again.

Updates here: Asian Elephant Calf Update | Zoos Victoria

Today the progress of the tendons in the calf's front ankles was assessed, and although there has been some encouraging improvement it was decided to place both her front legs in casts to continue relaxing the tendons so her legs will straighten and she can place her feet flat on the ground.

While she still can't stand, support her weight, and suckle from her mother, the team is battling to provide her with sufficient nutrition.

The Zoo's Head Vet, Dr. Michael Lynch, explains that the calf isn't feeding well, so she is receiving both fluids and nutrition via an intravenous drip.

'In the meantime, she is receiving physio every day to exercise her legs and assist her in her efforts to stand.'

Trail of the Elephants Manager Dominic Moss says that mother Num-Oi is constant in her attentiveness towards the calf and shows no signs of withdrawing in any way.

'Num-Oi remains concerned with her calf's wellbeing. She understands that we are helping the calf. When the calf vocalises, Num-Oi reacts naturally, showing her maternal instincts remain strong.

'Num-Oi's closest companion Kulab is still a great support, and she's also very attentive to the calf.'
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top