Seoul Zoo Seoul Zoo

The map shows 'sea leopards' in the ocean hall section....

Do they have Leopard Seals???

Edit - seems they are likely just harbour seals.....oh well!
 
Last edited:
dragon(ele)nerd said:
the zoo just recieved two elephants from Cambodia, a 20 year old bull and a 27 year old cow.
Click to expand...
and now a further two are coming to South Korea from Sri Lanka:
Two more tuskers donated to korea - Elephant News
The Sri Lanka government recently decided to donate a pair of elephants to Korea by the end of July, a month after Cambodia donated two elephants for a Seoul zoo. According to Seoul diplomatic sources, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered a pair of five-year-old elephants, one female and one male, to the Global Love Sharing Center, a Seoul-based civic group, to thank the group for its efforts to help migrant workers from Sri Lanka.
Click to expand...
 
wow another two more! now I really hope that the exhibit can sustain 5 elephants.
 
dragon(ele)nerd said:
wow another two more! now I really hope that the exhibit can sustain 5 elephants.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if the two Sri Lankan elephants are going to the zoo or not, the article I posted was phrased rather ambiguously: "Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has offered a pair of five-year-old elephants, one female and one male, to the Global Love Sharing Center, a Seoul-based civic group"
 
I would assume they maintain both Asiatic and African elephants in separate exhibits?

I do have some concern over mixing Sri Lankan and mainland elephants as it is ad-mixing 2 different ESU's. The Sri Lankan ssp. is more endangered.
(similar qualms exist over any other breeding programme where Sri Lankan elephants are mixed with other Asiatic elephant ssp.'s)
 
If I am correct both have recently had either an addition (rhino) or are planning to (gorilla) to stimulate / promote breeding.

Can someone update on the situations with both gorillas and white rhinos at Seoul Zoo?
 
Does anyone have any information on the four elephants the Seoul Grand Park Zoo received in November 1983 from the United States? I assume they were Africans but have learned the country no longer has this species. In 1997, they still had 2.2 Africans and 3.1 Asians but I do not know if those four Africans were the same as the 1983 shipment.

I believe the 1983 shipment of 400 animals was for the grand opening of the zoo. I would like to identify the elephants for my records since they came from the US. They may have been fresh imports or possibly from a zoo on exhibit.
 
ShowMeElephants said:
Does anyone have any information on the four elephants the Seoul Grand Park Zoo received in November 1983 from the United States? I assume they were Africans but have learned the country no longer has this species. In 1997, they still had 2.2 Africans and 3.1 Asians but I do not know if those four Africans were the same as the 1983 shipment.

I believe the 1983 shipment of 400 animals was for the grand opening of the zoo. I would like to identify the elephants for my records since they came from the US. They may have been fresh imports or possibly from a zoo on exhibit.
Click to expand...
I have found some parts of information that they had 5 African elephant, and the last one named “Rika” has died in 13th March, 2008. His skull is now shown in the elephant building in Seoul Zoo. There are no exact evidence of transfer of those 5 African elephants even in Korean by now. Rika had a dangerous inter-species love relationship with an Indian elephant named “Sakura” so they had to separate him to a smaller exhibit which is now used by American bisons.
 
Kim Minwoo said:
I have found some parts of information that they had 5 African elephant, and the last one named “Rika” has died in 13th March, 2008. His skull is now shown in the elephant building in Seoul Zoo. There are no exact evidence of transfer of those 5 African elephants even in Korean by now. Rika had a dangerous inter-species love relationship with an Indian elephant named “Sakura” so they had to separate him to a smaller exhibit which is now used by American bisons.
Click to expand...

Thank you. We know at 0.0.4 African elephants were sent from the United States in November 1983 for the new Grand Park Zoo.

In October 1982, 1.1 African elephants were sent from Gunma Safari Park in Japan to South Korea. I believe these two were part of six that Gunma acquired in 1979 from the United States as well. Did these two go to Seoul as well? Reportedly that female gave birth in South Korea ("the first African elephant birth in the Far East").
 
ShowMeElephants said:
Thank you. We know at 0.0.4 African elephants were sent from the United States in November 1983 for the new Grand Park Zoo.

In October 1982, 1.1 African elephants were sent from Gunma Safari Park in Japan to South Korea. I believe these two were part of six that Gunma acquired in 1979 from the United States as well. Did these two go to Seoul as well? Reportedly that female gave birth in South Korea ("the first African elephant birth in the Far East").
Click to expand...

Hello, could you please let me know the source of the information that two african elephants were taken out to South Korea from Gunma Safari Park? Considering the year that you said 1982, the two elephants were sent to Jeonju Zoo.


According to book "80-year history of Korean Zoo" and old newspaper articles, Jeonju Zoo started construction of the elephant enclosure on Oct. 28, 1979, completed construction on Aug. 10, 1981, and started raising a pair of african elephants on Nov. 2, 1982, that donor bought in Japan.

The female elephant gave birth to her son on September 6, 1983, but as we can see from the date, she was already pregnant before she came to Jeonju Zoo, and her son's name was "Kodol-i."

Afterwards, the first pair of elephants that came to Jeonju Zoo had a big fight from 6:10 a.m. on June 18, 1988, and the male, who hit his head against concrete, died of a concussion an hour later.

The article at the time said, the male was had his tusks removed because he cause a human-killing accident in Japan. and that there was a case in which the male and female were quarantined for a month because they had a big fight in December last year.

Kodol-i was died on November 20, 1997 after 2 p.m., and his mother died in October 1999.


The above is the almost all information I collected about african elephants at Jeonju Zoo. There is a lack of media data on african elephants at Jeonju Zoo. Just one small photo from the 80-year history of Korean Zoo and a brief scene at the end of a home video clip uploaded to YouTube, That's all.

Old home video footage filmed in Jeonju Zoo.
African elephants appear from 2 : 40.
​

Some Korean Internet sites said "there was an elephant without a nose" about an african elephants at Jeonju Zoo, but there is no clear photo or video data. In this situation, I think it will be a great achievement to find out their origin, so I hope you can let me know the source.
 
Last edited:
dt644 said:
Hello, could you please let me know the source of the information that two african elephants were taken out to South Korea from Gunma Safari Park? Considering the year that you said 1982, the two elephants were sent to Jeonju Zoo.
Click to expand...

Incredible information! Thank you so much. What a fantastic follow-up to a group of elephant from America that have held my interest for so long.

These are my notes from the first source:

1979 - Gunma Safari Park acquired 2 male and 6 female African elephants the year the park opened; from original group of 6, one female died 09/02/1981; then 2 to South Korea; 1.1 African elephants sent to South Korea 10/29/1982 ( female later gave birth there; first African elephant birth in Far East ); 1.4 elephants remained at Gunma; first birth occurred 01/31/1984 but male died within 30 minutes; healthy male born 05/05/1986; both born to female Sakuve

>> "Zoological Gardens of Japan," "Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections To Zoological Gardens," edited by Vernon Kisling, p. 305


All of this information is confirmed in the Japanese African Studbook. It states there were 8 total Africans that arrived to Gunma Safari Park on 03/30/1979 from the International Animal Exchange - 2 males and 6 females. I believe, due to a similarity in some of the names and the time frame, that these 8 were part of the 24 my friend picked out in Uganda from the Chipperfields and brought to Great Adventure in New Jersey. However, one elephant they identify as a female was a male according to what he had told me about their arrival in 1974.

The Japanese studbook says the two that went to South Korea were male Wootsu and female Jyoisu on 11/01/1982.

I would love to see copies of the news articles if available, though I assume they are in Korean?
 
Last edited:
ShowMeElephants said:
Incredible information! Thank you so much. What a fantastic follow-up to a group of elephant from America that have held my interest for so long.

These are my notes from the first source:

1979 - Gunma Safari Park acquired 2 male and 6 female African elephants the year the park opened; from original group of 6, one female died 09/02/1981; then 2 to South Korea; 1.1 African elephants sent to South Korea 10/29/1982 ( female later gave birth there; first African elephant birth in Far East ); 1.4 elephants remained at Gunma; first birth occurred 01/31/1984 but male died within 30 minutes; healthy male born 05/05/1986; both born to female Sakuve

>> "Zoological Gardens of Japan," "Zoo and Aquarium History: Ancient Animal Collections To Zoological Gardens," edited by Vernon Kisling, p. 305


All of this information is confirmed in the Japanese African Studbook. It states there were 8 total Africans that arrived to Gunma Safari Park on 03/30/1979 from the International Animal Exchange - 2 males and 6 females. I believe, due to a similarity in some of the names and the time frame, that these 8 were part of the 24 my friend picked out in Uganda from the Chipperfields and brought to Great Adventure in New Jersey. However, one elephant they identify as a female was a male according to what he had told me about their arrival in 1974.

The Japanese studbook says the two that went to South Korea were male Wootsu and female Jyoisu on 11/01/1982.

I would love to see copies of the news articles if available, though I assume they are in Korean? Any photos?
Click to expand...

It's amazingly detailed information. I didn't expect to know their names. Thank you very much.

Although it's all in Korean and no photos, I'll list the articles I used as a source.



And there's a correction, which is about the date of the death of the female elephant, Jyoisu. An additional check about the JoongAng Daily shows that she died on January 11, 1999.

Also, I just checked the minutes of the Jeonju City Council meeting, and it was Kim Il-gi, who was running a rest area in the Jeonju Zoo, who donated the elephant. It seems that he was authorized to operate a rest area in the zoo by donating elephants and seals to the Jeonju Zoo.



In the Jeonju Zoo chapter at the "80-year history of Korean Zoo: Seoul Grand Park, Nationwide Zoos and Aquariums", A scanned copy of the Jeonju Zoo promotional flyer is included, and in there, a small photo of an african elephant is included. I own this book, but since I'm not at my home right now, so I upload a scanned copy that can be read on the Seoul Library website.

캡처_2024_12_05_01_07_35_424.png

80-year history of Korean Zoo: Seoul Grand Park, Nationwide Zoos and Aquariums p. 885
It is on page 894 in the scanned copy of Seoul Library.

​
Given that the book was written in 1996 and that the two elephants are attached side by side, it is thought that the two elephants in the picture are Jyoisu and her son Kodol-i. Also, the elephant in the back looks like it has a "short nose."

Unfortunately, along with the home video footage I showed you earlier, this photo is the only two media materials about african elephants at Jeonju Zoo. Old photos of visitors to Jeonju Zoo may show elephants, but no one has posted them on the web yet.


If you have any information about other african elephants sent to Korea, I would appreciate it if you could let me know. I'm expecting to be able to link it with the information I have.
 

Attachments

  • 캡처_2024_12_05_01_07_35_424.png
    캡처_2024_12_05_01_07_35_424.png
    406.5 KB · Views: 26
dt644 said:
It's amazingly detailed information. I didn't expect to know their names. Thank you very much.
Click to expand...

Thanks! Love to have the photo. I have a news article from November 2, 1983, when over 400 animals departed Texas for the new Seoul Grand Park Zoo, including 4 elephants. I don't know more about those but I would love to know more about their names, size, photos, etc. Perhaps they were new imports or they were larger elephants unwanted like those that went to Gunma and later Jeonju.

Here is more information from my notes that might be relevant to those elephants:


06/1997 - 8 elephants in exhibit at Seoul Grand Park Zoo (2 African bulls & 2 African cows, 3 Asian bulls, 1 Asian female); Army employee John Regan volunteered at zoo, given task of separating 5-year-old male Asian calf from parents for transfer to Pusan Zoo as part of exchange program, create an elephant act, train one for rides & train crew of unskilled keepers; of 7 remaining, 2 used for purposes - 22-year-old Asian bull Konto & 20-year-old Asian female Achima; limited former experience at Central Florida Zoo & with Buckles Woodcock on Ringling; given help by Wayne Jackson of Toronto Zoo & Debora Anderson of Indianapolis Zoo

>> "Elephant Training in the Hermit Kingdom" by John Regan, AAT Magazine 1999, Northwest Wildlife Online


Elephant.se lists four elephants that could be those four from Texas - males Nikka b. 1974 & Lima b. 1977, females Delilah b. 1978 & Suzy b. 1979

>> "Deceased elephants at Seoul Grand Park Zoo in South Korea" - Deceased elephants at Seoul Grand Park Zoo in South Korea - Elephant Encyclopedia and Database


I would love to find out more about the four from the United States, perhaps tying them to some others I know of that became "Lost to Follow-up."
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top