North American African Elephant Population
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While I believe there are worse managed herds from a breeding standpoint I generally agree with the sentiment. Honestly the zoo should have just sent Batir away with her mother years ago or have brought in a proven bull. C'Sar is old-part blind and is never leaving the zoo, yet Artie is in fairly good health and could have been sent to a nonbreeding institution. And I mean now they are demonstrating they can hold 3 bulls (although I expect Artie to move at some point, as it puts the facility towards its breaking point).
Both males are mixed with the females nearly daily so obviously if one was gonna get pregnant from them it would have happened a while ago, yet the zoo was slow to change up things. Its hard for me because the zoo has one of the better programs imo from a standpoint of enrichment and just overall management (largely keeping the bulls mixed with the herd most of the time), yet they have dropped the ball on breeding.
I think the biggest single problem in elephant management in the US - for both species- is the refusal to accept that the reproductive window of female elephants is short and closes early. A nulliparous 20 year old female is pretty much lost for breeding if she isnt pregnant yet and the same is happening when the inter birth interval gets longer then 6-8 years. But zoos want to believe that females have all the time in the world and that 25 year old females are still in prime age for a first calf, so they can let things go on for years without actions (and keep their favourite non breeding bull in hope that he might get things done one day in the future...) For Batir its almost too late now-as for too many other females.
I can partly echo that sentiment ..., which is true of major zoos across a good few Continents and not restricted to any particular zoo or Continent.
To the local Zoochat community: what outlook remains for the NC Zoo herd now?
Atlanta Zoo welcomes Msholo from the San Diego Safari Park. Does this mean that the San Diego safari park is planning to bring in a new breeding bull???!
https://www.underthegeorgiasun.com/2019 ... 0Z60r-8lgU
I dont know why they did this. Both females are not breedable and Msholo is genetically valuable. The new exhibit is very nice and much bigger than many zoos (Memphis is postage stamp sized with more elephants?!) but Grants Park is land locked. (I am only about two hours north of Atlanta). I have yet to hear plans to bring in viable females - they do have room for one or two more females.
Dottie died attempting to give birth.
Some interesting stuff... but nobody would send an elephant to Carol Buckley. She has a terrible reputation with people in circus, zoo and even AR folks.
Elephants must have space if they need to find food, but at zoos what matters is HOW they utilize their space. Sure, they need space to exercise and interact with others but make it a multi-generational (or bachelor) herd so they will be enriched for years to come.
Unfortunately, I predict it will fail.
Msholo is a behavioral non-breeder.
I spoke with the manager of the elephant herd at the WAP at a conference a few years ago, and he said although he mated with one cow once, he simply had no interest in breeding. So it makes sense to get rid of him to (hopefully) bring in a new, viable bull down the road. Especially if Atlanta is willing to train him for semen collection.
Thank you for the clarification. That makes sense.
As of July 4, 2021, there are 174 (36.138.0) African elephants in North America. Of the 174 African elephants in North America, 5 (2.3.0) reside at two institutions in Canada, and 169 (34.135.0) reside at forty-five institutions in the United States. However, these numbers are not accurate as 6 (0.6.0) African elephants have an uncertain status. The elephants with an uncertain status are italicized in red in the current population.
North American African Elephant Population (07/2021)
North American African Elephant Population (07/2021)
Thanks for the update!
Why does Caldwell Zoo have 2 breedable cows without a bull? Would that not mean a move out?
One note of caution: Am I the only one "missing" some countries if and when we refer to North America. For instance, Mexico does have African elephants and if I am right do not they (Puebla-Africam most notably) participate in the AZA/ SSP for the species?
Caldwell's two younger elephants are both male and moved there from SDZSP in 2019 to form a bachelor herd.
I believe there is a seperate thread for elephants in Central and South America that includes the elephants at Africam Safari in Puebla.
Aha, focused on F Tonya..., I am a tad dyslectic.
What I am meaning to say is that North America is Canada, USA, Mexico and Meso America (Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras et cetera).
You're absolutely right, @Kifaru Bwana. Technically, Mexico is a North American country and should therefore be included in the North American population. When I created the thread for the Latin American population, I decided to lump Mexico, in addition to the Caribbean countries, in with the Central and South American countries as the census for the United States and Canada was already quite long. If I could go back in time, I would have called the 'Central and South American' thread the 'Latin American' thread.
OK, fine ..., it is one of those things. If I am correct there are not many elephants left in Meso and Latin America. As far as Puebla-Africam Safari is concerned I honestly most sincerely hope that they get included into the AZA/SSP program as their African elephant program is quite quite successful. I would almost go as far as to claim slight advantage over some of their USA counterparts in breeding and maintaining African elephants.
Some else been bothering me: Why is SD-WAP no longer keeping a bull elephant. I know their old bull is on B/L, but is it not possible to acquire another proven bull from within the US?
Some else been bothering me: Why is SD-WAP no longer keeping a bull elephant. I know their old bull is on B/L, but is it not possible to acquire another proven bull from within the US?
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The arrival of a new bull has been anticipated since Msholo's departure to Atlanta in 2019, but so far nothing. Hopefully, since they recently moved their last adolescent bull Nipho to SDZ they will finally aquire a new breeding bull.
It is concerning that they haven't received another bull. However, breeding bulls are very far and few between. I believe Jackson, Mabhulane, Sdudla, Maclean, and Callee are the only living bulls who have bred naturally, and they're all in breeding situations. I think they've also been postponing getting another bull because they're remodeling Elephant Valley.
Mr.Ivory
Well-Known Member
Weird that the narrator said hes "young" and "playing" but looking from the cows, it looked like an actual mating.
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