Oakland Zoo Oakland Zoo News 2023

Nile Hippo Expert said:
Donna the elephant has arrived at Tennessee Elephant Sanctuary.

More about Donna’s journey:
Oakland Zoo’s African Elephant, Donna, Moves to New Home at The Elephant Sanctuary | Oakland Zoo
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what’s going to happen to Osh? is the zoo going to bring in more African bulls or are they going to send Osh away? If they send Osh away would they switch to keeping Asian elephants or switch keeping rhinos? Are there many elephants in aza facilities that are currently in need of a new home?
 
Chimpangeek said:
what’s going to happen to Osh? is the zoo going to bring in more African bulls or are they going to send Osh away? If they send Osh away would they switch to keeping Asian elephants or switch keeping rhinos? Are there many elephants in aza facilities that are currently in need of a new home?
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They made a post recently stating that they were still figuring out ways to maximize Osh's welfare. Could go either way.

Oakland Zoo on Instagram: "Ice, Ice, Oshy Osh continues to get lots of love and extra enrichment from his care team, like this combo of palm fronds and some fun ice on a recent warm day. With Osh’s ultimate wellbeing in mind, we are considering the best future for him, now that Donna has departed for Tennessee. We will be sure to keep you posted on any Osh-related developments. In the meantime, come visit this big guy soon ❤️ : Keeper Marisa"
 
Smaggledagle said:
On July 31st, the zoo announced that (0.0.2) Henkel's leaf-tailed geckos named Mintaka and Thrash hatched in May and are behind the scenes.

Leaping Lizard! | Leapin' lizard (literally!) Check out the surprise jump from this baby leaf-tailed gecko. We are currently raising 2 gecko hatchlings behind the scenes... | By Oakland Zoo | Facebook
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Quick correction, the zoo stated now that the geckos were actually common flat-tailed geckos.

Oakland Zoo - Baby gecko! We've been attempting to breed...
 
StoppableSan said:
They made a post recently stating that they were still figuring out ways to maximize Osh's welfare. Could go either way.

Oakland Zoo on Instagram: "Ice, Ice, Oshy Osh continues to get lots of love and extra enrichment from his care team, like this combo of palm fronds and some fun ice on a recent warm day. With Osh’s ultimate wellbeing in mind, we are considering the best future for him, now that Donna has departed for Tennessee. We will be sure to keep you posted on any Osh-related developments. In the meantime, come visit this big guy soon ❤️ : Keeper Marisa"
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All well and good ... it is about time the long term plan gets revealed! Why does the Oakland Zoo waste so much time.

Zoos in general waste years on end sitting when it comes to elephants on reproductive age bulls with non-breeding cows, which is really a dead end no brainer policy (and even risk that the bull will die before he ever does get a chance to breed). I understand the visitor appeal and all to individual zoos concerned, but in doing so zoos tend to impair the overall Health of the species conservation program. Same goes if zoos keep sitting on their surplus females of reproductive age where a new breeding matriline could be set up elsewhere ....
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
All well and good ... it is about time the long term plan gets revealed! Why does the Oakland Zoo waste so much time.

Zoos in general waste years on end sitting when it comes to elephants on reproductive age bulls with non-breeding cows, which is really a dead end no brainer policy (and even risk that the bull will die before he ever does get a chance to breed). I understand the visitor appeal and all to individual zoos concerned, but in doing so zoos tend to impair the overall Health of the species conservation program. Same goes if zoos keep sitting on their surplus females of reproductive age where a new breeding matriline could be set up elsewhere ....
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They're not sitting on it. There are so many factors involved, a lot of which need approval from different agencies, including those that might not be zoo-based (like city governments that might own a zoo, given the amount of funds and logistics involved in moving elephants; you can't stick one in the back of the company van). Even when a move is planned, you need good weather, a safe route, enough people to be involved in the moving of the animal... it's a lot more like moving an orca than it is moving most zoo species.
 
TinoPup said:
They're not sitting on it. There are so many factors involved, a lot of which need approval from different agencies, including those that might not be zoo-based (like city governments that might own a zoo, given the amount of funds and logistics involved in moving elephants; you can't stick one in the back of the company van). Even when a move is planned, you need good weather, a safe route, enough people to be involved in the moving of the animal... it's a lot more like moving an orca than it is moving most zoo species.
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I full well know what it takes to administer a program and all evantualities in animal transfer. I have managed captive populations myself in the past, mind.

Just my remarks do not go on just the one zoo with its do's and don't's. The fact remains that bull Osh has been at the Oakland Zoo without access to reproductive cows and has been for a good number of years. Given that slowly the Oakland Zoo is losing these older cows and they are down to their last man standing questions around the long term plan for elephants at Oakland Zoo have become somewhat acute ..., and I do believe it is helpful that the zoo communicate their long term plans for bull Osh and elephant keeping at Oakland. It is not like this situation has just suddenly arrived ... as it could be expected from years even decade past that the end game would be a single elephant at Oakland Zoo. Will the zoo continue keeping elephants and in what constellation, will they phase out elephants and refurb the facility for other pachyderm spp. or entirely different exhibition purposes.

In this respect, and given the pancity of good breeding bulls it would be in the wider interests of the African elephant breeding program if bull Osh was not just left living by himself and get the chance the breed. See what is happening not too far in San Diego where no breeding of the African elephant is closing the window on the young nulliparous cows and the older previously reproductive cows that have been years without a good bull and wasting many opportunities to increase the African elephant population and down the line perhaps even for Oakland Zoo new younger animals to fill the exhibit.

So, with all due respect I do think my feedback was both relevant and deserves further discussion and is valid and relevant to the future of both elephants at Oakland and in the wider North American realm.
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
I full well know what it takes to administer a program and all evantualities in animal transfer. I have managed captive populations myself in the past, mind.

Just my remarks do not go on just the one zoo with its do's and don't's. The fact remains that bull Osh has been at the Oakland Zoo without access to reproductive cows and has been for a good number of years. Given that slowly the Oakland Zoo is losing these older cows and they are down to their last man standing questions around the long term plan for elephants at Oakland Zoo have become somewhat acute ..., and I do believe it is helpful that the zoo communicate their long term plans for bull Osh and elephant keeping at Oakland. It is not like this situation has just suddenly arrived ... as it could be expected from years even decade past that the end game would be a single elephant at Oakland Zoo. Will the zoo continue keeping elephants and in what constellation, will they phase out elephants and refurb the facility for other pachyderm spp. or entirely different exhibition purposes.

In this respect, and given the pancity of good breeding bulls it would be in the wider interests of the African elephant breeding program if bull Osh was not just left living by himself and get the chance the breed. See what is happening not too far in San Diego where no breeding of the African elephant is closing the window on the young nulliparous cows and the older previously reproductive cows that have been years without a good bull and wasting many opportunities to increase the African elephant population and down the line perhaps even for Oakland Zoo new younger animals to fill the exhibit.

So, with all due respect I do think my feedback was both relevant and deserves further discussion and is valid and relevant to the future of both elephants at Oakland and in the wider North American realm.
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I trust the zoo. If he's not being bred, there is likely a reason for why that just hasn't been made public.
 
TinoPup said:
I trust the zoo. If he's not being bred, there is likely a reason for why that just hasn't been made public.
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Oakland Zoo has made it known that they are not interested in breeding elephants. And with talks with the keepers Osh is apparently a non-behavioral breeder. Being with Donna he never figured out what he was supposed to do even when she played her part.

“We have no plan to breed elephants at this point and into the future,” he said. Dehejia said the zoo had considered participating in an AZA breeding program with the Osh, the zoo’s lone male elephant, but that the plan never came to fruition.”

Oakland Zoo prepares to say goodbye to another elephant
 
Yazziel said:
Oakland Zoo has made it known that they are not interested in breeding elephants. And with talks with the keepers Osh is apparently a non-behavioral breeder. Being with Donna he never figured out what he was supposed to do even when she played her part.

“We have no plan to breed elephants at this point and into the future,” he said. Dehejia said the zoo had considered participating in an AZA breeding program with the Osh, the zoo’s lone male elephant, but that the plan never came to fruition.”

Oakland Zoo prepares to say goodbye to another elephant
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Has the bull Osh ever been tested at a different institution to establish he is a behavioral non-breeder?

How did that statement and not interested in breeding policy come about?
 
Kifaru Bwana said:
Has the bull Osh ever been tested at a different institution to establish he is a behavioral non-breeder?

How did that statement and not interested in breeding policy come about?
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It’s very interesting - especially when you consider the fact he’s always been with much older cows.

And to answer your question, no. He’s been at Oakland since he was ten for almost two decades now. It would be nice if they would give him the opportunity with new, younger cows at a different facility but obviously Oakland is of the firm belief he’s a behavioral non breeder.
 
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