Smithsonian National Zoo Smithsonian National Zoo News 2020

[E Maximus]

Visited the zoo today and heard from a curator that the zoo has two new bison in quarantine, so thats something to look forward to after they have reopened. Also found that Kamala recently had a procedure done on her foot to treat her arthritis. She's doing well but keepers reintroduced her to Rani and Swarna this afternoon and my was that quite a semi violent show.

 

[AmbikaFan]

Visited the zoo today and heard from a curator that the zoo has two new bison in quarantine, so thats something to look forward to after they have reopened. Also found that Kamala recently had a procedure done on her foot to treat her arthritis. She's doing well but keepers reintroduced her to Rani and Swarna this afternoon and my was that quite a semi violent show.

This explains the groupings recently, none of which included her. She is the violent one, and they've helped Rani get beyond that by separating her. Rani's been spending a lot of happy time lately with...wait for it....Bozie. Then, one day, Bozie, Rani, and Swarna were all with Spike in the Outpost yard, and gradually they came up and the gate to Ambika and Shanthi was opened. I couldn't see if Spike, Swarna, and Bozie were still nearby, but Rani came right in to greet Shanthi warmly! All six in one big yard together, no problems! So warming to see! And such a tribute to the training team.

But Rani and Swarna are the only ones Komala can be with safely. Spike got so disgusted he knocked her over awhile ago. Now that R and S have learned how nice life can be without all the violence, it must be a really toxic reunion when they have to be with Komala. This is apparently how it's been for years and why Swarna was almost immediately tested out with the A, S, and B trio.

What did who do to whom? Do two pick on one,? Was anyone knocked over? Did they get tired, or did keepers intervene? Thank you for this info.

 

[E Maximus]

What did who do to whom? Do two pick on one,? Was anyone knocked over? Did they get tired, or did keepers intervene? Thank you for this info.

First it was just Rani picking on Kamala and then they both started picking on Swarna and chasing her around. She did get knocked to her knees a couple time but not completely knocked over. None of them seemed to tire out the keepers had to intervene and break it up with water hoses and food. However, shortly after they did that it started up again while I was talking to Marie. The keepers said this doesn't happen as often as it used to when they first arrived from calgary but can happen when K and R have been separated for more than a night. I do have it on video I can upload to youtube and share as well as a couple still shots I can post of it in the media section.

 

[AmbikaFan]

First it was just Rani picking on Kamala and then they both started picking on Swarna and chasing her around. She did get knocked to her knees a couple time but not completely knocked over. None of them seemed to tire out the keepers had to intervene and break it up with water hoses and food. However, shortly after they did that it started up again while I was talking to Marie. The keepers said this doesn't happen as often as it used to when they first arrived from calgary but can happen when K and R have been separated for more than a night. I do have it on video I can upload to youtube and share as well as a couple still shots I can post of it in the media section.

I've been trying to piece together the Calgary dynamic since they arrived. I originally thought Rani might be the violent one, but suspected Swarna was getting it from both since the first moment she was put in with the trio. Right off, she always made a beeline for Ambika, but Bozie would head her off. A culture of the bully mentality. Rani has always been very high-strung, but they say she loves learning and has come a long way, so I'm still not sure if the original aggressor was K or R or a toxic relationship between both. According to @Bozie's Friend, Rani and Bozie had a fight the other night in the EEC that involved kicking, hard shoving, and sand being thrown in Rani's face, but they tired out. But Rani can also co-exist nicely, enough that keepers trusted her around Shanthi and Ambika. Now, is Rani going after Komala in the old toxic pattern or because she's made friends with nice elephants and realizes what a stinker Komala has been all these years and wants to let off some steam about that? I suppose Marie's comments suggest the former. You really have to feel for Swarna; it's a wonder she doesn't have joint issues. As the song goes, "What Do you Do with a Problem Like Komala?" Marie and Debbie and all have really done a yeoman's job of integrating six.

@Bozie's Friend also reported a really lovely evening activity with the trio in the ECC. Bozie and Ambika (!) together moved that huge log into the water with the tire end in furthest. I have to think there was deliberate purpose here for such collaboration, but for what? It would probably be great for A and S to lean on while descending into the water, and the tire would be a good cushion to lean against while in the water, allowing for some good hydrotherapy. I haven't seen that--or anything-- happen, but I wish I knew what was going through their minds. And look at old logging girl Ambika still having what it takes!!

Thank you so much.

 

[Bozie's Friend]

I would post the stills, if you post to You Tube, disable comments so that AR people don't turn it into something that it shouldn't be. It's sad to hear how quick things got out of control.

That most definitely does explain the different pairings lately. I really did enjoy that day they were all paired with Spike. It was unusual, but they seemed so happy together. It kind of reminded me of what I see in Houston on a normal day.

 

[Elephant Enthusiast]

Nearly two years ago, I inquired about the social dynamics of the elephant herd at the Smithsonian National Zoo on the forum but never got a response. I'm glad that there are finally some answers and clarification pertaining to the topic. Thank you @NOVAElephantEnthusiast, @Bozie's Friend, and @AmbikaFan!

This would explain why the Smithsonian Girls (Ambika, Shanthi, & Bozie) and the Calgary Girls (Kamala, Swarna, & Maharani) have never been successfully integrated. Kamala is far too aggressive and dominant to share the same space with any elephant other than Swarna and Maharani (and occasionally Spike). It's very promising to see that Swarna and Maharani have come a long way since their arrival. Swarna is no longer deliberately going after the Smithsonian Girls and Maharani has learned that love and compassion are much more rewarding than bullying. However, it's disheartening to know that Swarna and Maharani's relationship with Kamala is holding them back from being the kind-hearted and loving elephants they truly are. Would it be in the best interest of Swarna, Maharani, and the rest of the herd to move Kamala to another institution? I wholeheartedly believe that matriarchal bonds should never be broken but, given the circumstances, Swarna and Maharani would significantly benefit from having Kamala be transferred elsewhere. Ultimately, Swarna and Maharani have demonstrated that they're willing to change for the better while Kamala is too set in her ways to change. Hopefully, peace can eventually be established amongst the elephants in the Smithsonian National Zoo's herd.

 

[AmbikaFan]

Nearly two years ago, I inquired about the social dynamics of the elephant herd at the Smithsonian National Zoo on the forum but never got a response. I'm glad that there are finally some answers and clarification pertaining to the topic. Thank you @NOVAElephantEnthusiast, @Bozie's Friend, and @AmbikaFan!

This would explain why the Smithsonian Girls (Ambika, Shanthi, & Bozie) and the Calgary Girls (Kamala, Swarna, & Maharani) have never been successfully integrated. Kamala is far too aggressive and dominant to share the same space with any elephant other than Swarna and Maharani (and occasionally Spike). It's very promising to see that Swarna and Maharani have come a long way since their arrival. Swarna is no longer deliberately going after the Smithsonian Girls and Maharani has learned that love and compassion are much more rewarding than bullying. However, it's disheartening to know that Swarna and Maharani's relationship with Kamala is holding them back from being the kind-hearted and loving elephants they truly are. Would it be in the best interest of Swarna, Maharani, and the rest of the herd to move Kamala to another institution? I wholeheartedly believe that matriarchal bonds should never be broken but, given the circumstances, Swarna and Maharani would significantly benefit from having Kamala be transferred elsewhere. Ultimately, Swarna and Maharani have demonstrated that they're willing to change for the better while Kamala is too set in her ways to change. Hopefully, peace can eventually be established amongst the elephants in the Smithsonian National Zoo's herd.

It's been common knowledge since the Calgary girls arrived that something was off, and the constant explanation was that Komala and Swarna had come to the Calgary Zoo with male Bandara from the Pinnawela Elephant orphanage when they were about a year old. Since they were the first elephants in Calgary, they had no elders to teach them how to be elephants. I kind of thought this was a cop-out and that keepers would certainly have tried to teach them not to act the way we see now. In truth, Komala isn't really safe with Swarna or Spike either;. She's violent with Swarna, and her own safety is in jeopardy if mild-mannered Spike will knock her over because of her behavior.

I no longer remember the studbook info about when Bandara died, but now I certainly wonder how/why. And before Rani, there was Calvin (Chanda) known here for being Kandula's father by AI, plus many others he sired here and in Europe before he died a few years ago. His death was euthanasia for lingering effects from a terrible leg injury of some kind he suffered as a calf in Calgary. I had not known of this and was very startled when a European member posted a picture of a bull with a disfigured, twisted left front limb. Now, it's hard not to wonder how something like that could have happened. Then--and I've always remembered it being
reported this way--"Komala and Maharani abandoned (Rani's) baby and left it to die."

Of course, this relationship between Komala and Rani is the "elephant in the room," the angry, violent relationship that's developed between them over the years. Notice it was Rani who started the fight, and it occurs always after they've been separated for a night. They clearly need one another in a dysfunctional way that's unhealthy for both, and then they both turn on Swarna, who as a smaller single girl can't hope to fend off two bigger ones. As @Bozie's Friend said, we watched an incredible day when literally all of the other six were together, albeit spread across three large spaces; Rani was even considered safe around A and S, and Rani and Swarna had earlier even let Bozie be "queen for a day" in what must have been one of Bozie's first times with Spike. At the time, we wondered if Komala had been getting an arthritis treatment or maybe allowed to spend the day in Spike's yard getting the enrichment of his smell and a different yard. For there to be so much recuperation required, I wonder if this was less a treatment than an orthopedic repair surgery, perhaps even from that fall with Spike.

I don't know the answer, even if the six would be better off without her. The elephants I know with this history have either been sent to the Elephant Sanctuary or the Phoenix Zoo, which admirably works with three such dangerous souls. Activists scream, "sanctuary," but a sanctuary has no magic powers to stop these behaviors. In fact, one such elephant, Winkie, killed Joanna Burke, a keeper at the Elephant Sanctuary, in 2006. The NZP keeper team has done such wonders with the whole group of 7 mostly geriatric elephants, that it's hard to imagine Komala doing as well anywhere else.

It should really be noted too how committed they are to her growing arthritis problems. This year's budget request to Congress made several references to the extraordinarily high costs of caring for the five senior pachyderm residents, enough to make it clear that this was a very high standout expense for the zoo. Not just any zoo would have the veterinary specialists, expert keepers, and sufficient funds to serve her needs. I think staff feels they made a promise to Komala when accepting her and have every intention of following through on that. Anywhere else, she might have to live alone all the time, and if things get bad, NZP can provide that too, while still offering her contact with her daughter and Swarna she's known her whole life. We know it's a situation fraught with difficulty and possible harm, but I can't imagine anyone doing any more, any better. I too think we made a commitment to her, to give her a "forever home." For better or worse, I think Komala should stay at NZP.

 

[AmbikaFan]

I just stumbled across this little blurb on the NZP website about Shanthi's birthday. There's no news here, but what there is is a STUNNING picture of her. I don't know how to remove the picture, or I'd make it my computer wallpaper, so here's the link the whole thing. Shanthi has always been somewhat reserved, but here she is looking directly at the photographer (uncredited, but I believe Debbie Flinkman) AND it's the extremely rare close-up picture without any bars or fencing marring the view. She had made sustained eye contact with me just like this just five days earlier, and I found it very moving.

Elephant Update: Shanthi Rings in the New Year

 

[AmbikaFan]

Tomorrow is National Panda Day! A good time to be thankful for 20 years of the wonderful Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and the equally-wonderful offspring they blessed us with, Tai Shan, Bao Bao, and Bei Bei. Cheers to our bears in Atlanta and Memphis as well, with the hope that a change in international relations will bring pandas back to SDZ who did such pioneering breeding and research!

 

[AmbikaFan]

An article sent out this morning:

Learning More About Panda Health One Drop of Blood at a Time

 

[Elephant Enthusiast]

I no longer remember the studbook info about when Bandara died, but now I certainly wonder how/why.

Bandara passed away on November 25, 1991, from congestive heart failure at the age of 16.

Before Rani, there was Calvin (Chanda), known here for being Kandula's father by AI, plus many others he sired here and in Europe before he died a few years ago. His death was euthanasia for lingering effects from a terrible leg injury of some kind he suffered as a calf in Calgary. I had not known of this and was very startled when a European member posted a picture of the bull with a disfigured, twisted left front limb. Now, it's hard not to wonder how something like that could have happened. Then--and I've always remembered it being reported this way--"Komala and Maharani abandoned (Rani's) baby and left it to die."

Given the facts, it's possible Calvin sustained the injury to his left front leg from his mother Kamala. First-time elephant mothers have been known to attack their calves after birth so Kamala could have injured Calvin after he was born. Also, Kamala has been known to have aggressive tendencies so it's not unreasonable to suppose that she attacked her own son. That makes me wonder: Did Calvin injure himself in some freak accident or did Kamala injure her son out of inexperience and aggression?

In truth, Komala isn't really safe with Swarna or Spike either. She's violent with Swarna, and her own safety is in jeopardy if mild-mannered Spike will knock her over because of her behaviour. [T]he angry, violent relationship that's developed between [Komala and Rani] over the years [is the "elephant in the room."] Notice it was Rani who started the fight, and it occurs always after they've been separated for a night. They clearly need one another in a dysfunctional way that's unhealthy for both, and then they both turn on Swarna. [@Bozie's Friend and I] watched an incredible day when literally all of the other six were together, albeit spread across three large spaces. Rani was even considered safe around [Ambika] and [Shanthi], and Rani and Swarna had earlier even let Bozie be "queen for a day" in what must have been one of Bozie's first times with Spike.

I don't know the answer, even if the six would be better off without her. The elephants I know with this history have either been sent to the Elephant Sanctuary or the Phoenix Zoo, which admirably works with three such dangerous souls. Activists scream, "sanctuary," but a sanctuary has no magic powers to stop these behaviours. In fact, one such elephant, Winkie, killed Joanna Burke, a keeper at the Elephant Sanctuary, in 2006. The NZP keeper team has done such wonders with the whole group of 7 mostly geriatric elephants, that it's hard to imagine Komala doing as well anywhere else.

It should really be noted too how committed they are to her growing arthritis problems. This year's budget request to Congress made several references to the extraordinarily high costs of caring for the five senior pachyderm residents, enough to make it clear that this was a very high standout expense for the zoo. Not just any zoo would have the veterinary specialists, expert keepers, and sufficient funds to serve her needs. I think staff feels they made a promise to Komala when accepting her and have every intention of following through on that. Anywhere else, she might have to live alone all the time, and if things get bad, NZP can provide that too, while still offering her contact with her daughter and Swarna she's known her whole life. We know it's a situation fraught with difficulty and possible harm, but I can't imagine anyone doing any more, any better. I too think we made a commitment to her, to give her a "forever home." For better or worse, I think Komala should stay at NZP.

Based on the information, Kamala has been nothing more than a negative influence and a bully to the other elephants. Swarna is continuously targeted by Kamala despite being together for over four decades, Maharani will turn on her own mother when they're separated for more than a night and then take out her aggression towards Kamala on the other elephants, specifically Swarna, and Spike is so fed up with her behaviour that he resorted to knocking her over just to subdue her. Also, it goes without mentioning that Kamala has never shared the same space with Ambika, Shanthi, and Bozie out of fear that she could seriously injure, or even kill, one of them. It's been demonstrated that Ambika, Shanthi, Bozie, Swarna, Maharani, and Spike can be together cohabitatively without any confrontations or disputes arising when given access to multiple yards. However, if you add Kamala into the mix, it throws off the balance completely.

I truly believe the other elephants would benefit from having Kamala be transferred to another institution. Swarna wouldn't have to worry about constantly watching her back, Maharani would no longer have a negative influence to guide her, and the other elephants would finally have some sense of calm again. However, there's the uncertainty of how Kamala would fare being moved to another facility. The Phoenix Zoo or the Elephant Sanctuary could take her in but she wouldn't be able to properly socialize with the other elephants in Phoenix and receive the revolutionary arthritic treatments Smithsonian has to offer in Tennessee.

It's a double-edged sword. On one hand, moving Kamala would allow Swarna and Maharani to leave the past behind them and welcome a brighter future but, Kamala's arthritis could deteriorate without the innovative treatment provided at Smithsonian. While on the other hand, keeping Kamala at Smithsonian would enable her to continue treatment and potentially improve her condition but, Kamala's presence and aggressive nature would induce Swarna and Maharani to revert back to their old ways and cause continuous unrest in the herd.

Ultimately, in the best interest of Swarna, Maharani, and the other elephants, Kamala should be transferred to another institution so peace and tranquillity can be restored to the Smithsonian National Zoo's herd.

 

[TinoPup]

What about the Bronx, where they're used to keeping individuals separated, and could continue her care?

 

[Elephant Enthusiast]

What about the Bronx, where they're used to keeping individuals separated, and could continue her care?

Kamala could move to the Bronx Zoo however, the zoo announced over a decade ago its intentions to phase out their elephant program once the remaining elephants have passed away. Since Happy and Patty are the last two remaining elephants at the Bronx Zoo, I doubt the zoo would even consider acquiring another elephant. On top of that, the bad publicity the Bronx Zoo is receiving from animal activists over its elephant management is enough for the zoo to decline any offers, which are nonexistent, to receive additional elephants from other institutions.

 

[AmbikaFan]

Bandara passed away on November 25, 1991, from congestive heart failure at the age of 16.


Given the facts, it's possible Calvin sustained the injury to his left front leg from his mother Kamala. First-time elephant mothers have been known to attack their calves after birth so Kamala could have injured Calvin after he was born. Also, Kamala has been known to have aggressive tendencies so it's not unreasonable to suppose that she attacked her own son. That makes me wonder: Did Calvin injure himself in some freak accident or did Kamala injure her son out of inexperience and aggression?


Based on the information, Kamala has been nothing more than a negative influence and a bully to the other elephants. Swarna is continuously targeted by Kamala despite being together for over four decades, Maharani will turn on her own mother when they're separated for more than a night and then take out her aggression towards Kamala on the other elephants, specifically Swarna, and Spike is so fed up with her behaviour that he resorted to knocking her over just to subdue her. Also, it goes without mentioning that Kamala has never shared the same space with Ambika, Shanthi, and Bozie out of fear that she could seriously injure, or even kill, one of them. It's been demonstrated that Ambika, Shanthi, Bozie, Swarna, Maharani, and Spike can be together cohabitatively without any confrontations or disputes arising when given access to multiple yards. However, if you add Kamala into the mix, it throws off the balance completely.

I truly believe the other elephants would benefit from having Kamala be transferred to another institution. Swarna wouldn't have to worry about constantly watching her back, Maharani would no longer have a negative influence to guide her, and the other elephants would finally have some sense of calm again. However, there's the uncertainty of how Kamala would fare being moved to another facility. The Phoenix Zoo or the Elephant Sanctuary could take her in but she wouldn't be able to properly socialize with the other elephants in Phoenix and receive the revolutionary arthritic treatments Smithsonian has to offer in Tennessee.

It's a double-edged sword. On one hand, moving Kamala would allow Swarna and Maharani to leave the past behind them and welcome a brighter future but, Kamala's arthritis could deteriorate without the innovative treatment provided at Smithsonian. While on the other hand, keeping Kamala at Smithsonian would enable her to continue treatment and potentially improve her condition but, Kamala's presence and aggressive nature would induce Swarna and Maharani to revert back to their old ways and cause continuous unrest in the herd.

Ultimately, in the best interest of Swarna, Maharani, and the other elephants, Kamala should be transferred to another institution so peace and tranquillity can be restored to the Smithsonian National Zoo's herd.

I appreciate all the thought you've given this, EE. The timing of Bandara's death is very interesting in all of this. He died 16 months after Rani was born. Did the different group dynamic chart their course together? I again wish we had the studbook, because I'm curious when Calvin left the herd. I know he had left for African Lion Safari, because that's when he would have bred Kitty to produce Samson in 1998. It's interesting to.imagine the group with a young Calvin and dad Bandara. I have to say, though, that I don't think I've heard of too many elephants dying of congestive heart failure at 16. A 16-year-old gorilla, yes.....

Calvin himself is interesting. He has five sons in North America and five surviving offspring in Europe. He died in Ostrava from severe abcesses on his right foot, from ultimately compensating for the left by putting too much weight on the right. In 2015, ZooChatters Jana reported that it was "elephantpox" that infected his leg as a calf and caused the curvature. She wondered at the time of the right-foot abcesses could have been some recurrance of the childhood pox considering the disease is marked by such lesions.

Smithsonian National Zoo News 2015 [Smithsonian National Zoo]

That was the first time I had heard of elephantpox, as it happens primarily in Europe, where, coincidentally, cowpox and horsepox originate. All, plus monkeypox in South America, are variations of human smallpox, which Edward Jenner had created a vaccine for in 1796. These variants are all zoonotic, as they can be transmitted from humans to animals and back. TLD and Chlidonias explained a lot to me in the COVID-19 thfead that of the hundreds of zoonotic diseases, they are really transmissible between humans and one species, not many. Nevertheless these many variants have developed over time to include many species. (Cowpox killed a giant anteater in Chester in 2018, so the variants can infect behind just the named species, like cows). An Orthopox virus (the general name for all) is usually transmitted via mucosa, the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, reproductive areas,. Calvin's pox--if it was pox--either developed by itself in an area with no mucosa OR was the result of abcesses caused by something else and then infected with the cowpox virus. Chicken or egg? Perhaps not so important for us lay-people, but perhaps behaviorally Interestjng if the abcesses came first and were originally caused by some trauma to the foot, say some trauma by Komala. Abusive elephants notoriously elephants bite the tails off rivals, and Komala herself has a notched ear, bitten by someone tall enough to reach it. Maybe Komala did indeed injure her son or bite at her son, causing open mucosa that would be susceptible to varrinea, or cowpox. What still doesn't totally add up is how the other four elephants, including a baby, managed not to contract this highly contagious virus. It's also not clear how elephantpox would suddenly show up in North America for the first time unless there had been some recent imports from Europe of another species with pox, that either went from unknown import-to-human-to-elephant or directly from unknown import to Calvin. If keepers were all vaccinated for Smallpox routinely, could they have been carriers between the two species? I'm hoping @Chlidonias and @Tea Loving Dave see this and offer their scientific assessment.

My first inclination about his end-of-life abcesses could also be looked at as either the cause or the result. Jana seemed to think the lustules could have been a recurrance of the cowpox virus he had had earlier in life, reappearing as we now know varicella zoster can return. This would follow what happens in humans with chicken pox and shingles, but immunology generally bears out that the body will itself gradually build up an immunity to nearly all bacteria and viruses that don't suppress a functional immune system. Apparently, Calvin's right-foot lesions were enormous and medication-insensitive, and therefore fatal.

While everything that @Elephant Enthusiast says is true about what seems to be the betterment of the remaining six herd members, I'm not entirely sure that Rani and Komala aren't dependent on one another. It's an unhealthy dependency no doubt, but if the immediate fight is any indication, they need each other. Until that's resolved, Rani may not do well without her mother. So Komala's departure does not necessarily guarantee a wonderful life for all--especially if Rani's reproductive window is quickly passing us by (it's now been just over five years since her last pregnancy) and the stress of losing her mother causes her not to become pregnant or to lose a pregnancy she does have. Do we risk anything that could jeopardize this last attempt at the Rani/Spike pairing?

As for Komala, I didn't make it clear enough that the Phoenix elephants and the Bronx's remaining Happy and Patty must all live by themselves, in isolation. That runs so contrary to what we know about healthy elephant bonding that it's avoided at all costs, with only the most egregious exceptions allowed by the AZA. So long as Komala can have occasional successful interaction with even one other herdmate for a short time each day, I suggest that it would be better than to have only separate alone time. When I saw her in January, she was palpably slowed by her arthritis/injury, enough to be perfectly fine with Swarna at an Outpost demo. Keeper and medical professionals have an oath to do no harm--and the Phoenix girls are even more dangerous than she is. As for the Bronx, Jim Breheny has said that it will reduce the population once one of the three died, and not increase again; activists are all over the Bronx to send its elephants away as it is; seeing yet another elephant living alone in what is a very small habitat will probably result in their all having to move--which would be Komala's third and in her elderly years. I agree it might be more enjoyable for us all to see one big happy group all together as @Bozie's Friend and I had the joy to see last week, but Komala was promised a "forever" home. I just don't see anyone meeting her complex needs as NZP can.

.

 

[NAIB Volunteer]

Can we please just keep this thread to news? It's only March and we're already 6 pages deep on trivial information. Specific topics should be moved offline or to a separate thread.

 

[AmbikaFan]

I don't know what news you want if everything in these pages is trivial. These six pages have covered the budget request to Congress, animal deaths and new animals on exhibit, and quite frankly, the very things the zoo sends out in its member newsletter, as news. There has even been closure news. Developments with a violent elephant are newsworthy, especially since the issue of Orthopoxvirus variants is very much in line with concerns about HIV, EEHV, and now COVID-19, another zoonotic disease threatening a sizeable part of the planet. This is ZooChat. If you only want factual announcements and no discussion, you might be more satisfied with Twitterfeed.

 

[TeaLovingDave]

That was the first time I had heard of elephantpox, as it happens primarily in Europe, where, coincidentally, cowpox and horsepox originate. All, plus monkeypox in South America, are variations of human smallpox, which Edward Jenner had created a vaccine for in 1796.

It's also not clear how elephantpox would suddenly show up in North America for the first time unless there had been some recent imports from Europe of another species with pox, that either went from unknown import-to-human-to-elephant or directly from unknown import to Calvin. If keepers were all vaccinated for Smallpox routinely, could they have been carriers between the two species?

This, I suspect, is the source of your confusion with regards to zoonoses; they are related to human smallpox, being classified within the same genus, but they are not variations of human smallpox at all - no more than (for instance) jaguars are a variation of tiger. Smallpox was endemic to humans and was unable to be transmitted outside of our species (which is why it was possible to exterminate it) so your hypothesis that keepers vaccinated for smallpox transmitted it to animals is impossible.

As far as "elephantpox" is concerned, this is one and the same as cowpox and is merely a colloquial term - and cowpox is found throughout the USA, so the source of the initial infection is no mystery. As for the reason for the ultimately-fatal abscesses, I am not terribly familiar with the case in question but given all that yourself, EE and Jana have said, it sounds like something along the lines of osteomyelitis (a chronic infection in the bone with surface sores and ulcers in the surrounding tissue) is the likeliest scenario.

Incidentally, Varicella zoster is entirely unrelated to the poxviridae.

 

[AmbikaFan]

This, I suspect, is the source of your confusion with regards to zoonoses; they are related to human smallpox, being classified within the same genus, but they are not variations of human smallpox at all - no more than (for instance) jaguars are a variation of tiger. Smallpox was endemic to humans and was unable to be transmitted outside of our species (which is why it was possible to exterminate it) so your hypothesis that keepers vaccinated for smallpox transmitted it to animals is impossible.

As far as "elephantpox" is concerned, this is one and the same as cowpox and is merely a colloquial term - and cowpox is found throughout the USA, so the source of the initial infection is no mystery. As for the reason for the ultimately-fatal abscesses, I am not terribly familiar with the case in question but given all that yourself, EE and Jana have said, it sounds like something along the lines of osteomyelitis (a chronic infection in the bone with surface sores and ulcers in the surrounding tissue) is the likeliest scenario.

Incidentally, Varicella zoster is entirely unrelated to the poxviridae.

Thank you so much. I knew you would know what my questions were. Above all, I did not know that elephantpox was actually Cowpox. I know we have Cowpox here but had never heard of it affecting elephants. Calvin's original condition definitely sounds like osteomyelitis, resulting in biofilms, something I have to safeguard against myself with three prosthetic joints and a metal spinal fusion. At the end for Calvin, the overcompensation of the right leg could definitely have produced the big abcesses with virtually any kind of drug-resistant virus or bacteria, which could have progressed to osteomyelitis just as it had as a calf. And itdoesn't rule out our musings about whether some violence from Komala opened the original wound. Calvin was at Ostrava and Hannover, and sired six calves, so you may know him.

I know that varicella zoster and Orthopox are not related, but Jana was considering whether pox caused Calvin's original disease and then was also responsible for the abcesses on the right leg at the end of his life. I only referenced varicella zoster as a virus known for returning again, with the body having developed no permanent immunity, that being the similarity. I misspoke when speaking of smallpox as a human variant; the very possibility of a vaccine 200 years ago for one and the continued inability to develop one for cowpox, or even grow cowpox, illustrates the most inherent difference.

But, to use the Chester case with Pedro the giant anteater. If humans can not be carriers, how is the virus spread if not between species?

 

[Elephant Enthusiast]

The timing of Bandara's death is very interesting in all of this. He died 16 months after Rani was born. Did the different group dynamic chart their course together? I again wish we had the studbook, because I'm curious when Calvin left the herd. I know he had left for African Lion Safari because that's when he would have bred Kitty to produce Samson in 1998. It's interesting to imagine the group with a young Calvin and dad Bandara. I have to say, though, that I don't think I've heard of too many elephants dying of congestive heart failure at 16.

Calvin's original condition definitely sounds like osteomyelitis, resulting in biofilms, something I have to safeguard against myself with three prosthetic joints and a metal spinal fusion. At the end for Calvin, the overcompensation of the right leg could definitely have produced the big abcesses with virtually any kind of drug-resistant virus or bacteria, which could have progressed to osteomyelitis just as it had as a calf. And itdoesn't rule out our musings about whether some violence from Komala opened the original wound.

Based on the information from the forum, the studbook, and other sources, this is my interpretation of how the course of events unfolded for the Calgary Zoo's elephant herd between 1976 and 1991.

On May 25, 1976, Bandara, Kamala, and Swarna arrived at the Calgary Zoo from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka. Since these one year old calves were the only elephants in Calgary upon their arrival, Bandara, Kamala, and Swarna couldn't learn the proper elephant etiquette from older elephants thus leading some individuals, such as Kamala, to develop negative behaviours. Ten years later, on August 11, 1986, Kamala and Bandara had their first offspring, Chanda, later renamed Calvin. Since Kamala was a high strung, inexperienced, first-time mother, she likely lashed out at Calvin after he was born resulting in her injuring the left front leg of her son. Fortunately, keepers must have been able to reassure Kamala enough for her to accept Calvin as her calf as a photo, taken in November 1986, shows Kamala, Swarna, and Calvin together.

Source: Gallery: We look back at Calgary's awesome elephants | Calgary Herald
Unfortunately, as a result of the injury, Calvin's leg became infected by osteomyelitis, a chronic infection of the bone with sores and ulcers on the surface of the surrounding tissue. Luckily, Calvin overcame the infection but his leg would never properly heal. The injury would later be the leading cause behind his death. On April 3, 1989, Calvin was transferred to African Lion Safari to most likely make room for Kamala and Bandara's expectant calf. Calvin later went on to become one of the most prolific bulls by siring five viable sons in North America and three viable daughters and three viable sons in Europe. Nearly four years after the birth of Calvin, on July 14, 1990, Kamala and Bandara had their second offspring, Maharani. Fortunately, this time, Kamala took to motherhood immediately, and the mother and daughter pair had a good rapport until their transfer to the Smithsonian National Zoo in May of 2014. Sadly, 16 months after the birth of Maharani, Bandara died from congestive heart failure on November 25, 1991, at the age of 16.

While everything that @Elephant Enthusiast says is true about what seems to be the betterment of the remaining six herd members, I'm not entirely sure that Rani and Komala aren't dependent on one another. It's an unhealthy dependency no doubt, but if the immediate fight is any indication, they need each other. Until that's resolved, Rani may not do well without her mother. So Komala's departure does not necessarily guarantee a wonderful life for all--especially if Rani's reproductive window is quickly passing us by (it's now been just over five years since her last pregnancy) and the stress of losing her mother causes her not to become pregnant or to lose a pregnancy she does have. Do we risk anything that could jeopardize this last attempt at the Rani/Spike pairing?

The opposite could be said that the separation between the mother and daughter pair is integral for Maharani to successfully reproduce again. Since Maharani is a high strung elephant, perhaps the fights between her and Kamala, after being separated for more than a night, are causing undue stress on Maharani. Is Maharani fighting Kamala as a way of letting off steam or is she fighting her mother because Maharani no longer accepts Kamala as a member of the herd? Since Maharani no longer sees Kamala as a supportive role model, perhaps the negative rapport that's developed over the past couple years between the two of them is inhibiting Maharani from conceiving. Would Kamala's absence cause such distress on Maharani that she might never be able to conceive again or is Kamala's presence preventing Maharani from becoming pregnant? Fundamentally, the reproductive viability of Maharani should be the top priority whether that means keeping Kamala at Smithsonian or moving her to another institution so it may better the odds of Maharani becoming pregnant and continuing her matriarchal line.

It should really be noted too how committed they are to her growing arthritis problems. This year's budget request to Congress made several references to the extraordinarily high costs of caring for the five senior pachyderm residents, enough to make it clear that this was a very high standout expense for the zoo. Not just any zoo would have the veterinary specialists, expert keepers, and sufficient funds to serve her needs. I think staff feels they made a promise to Komala when accepting her and have every intention of following through on that. Anywhere else, she might have to live alone all the time, and if things get bad, NZP can provide that too, while still offering her contact with her daughter and Swarna she's known her whole life. We know it's a situation fraught with difficulty and possible harm, but I can't imagine anyone doing any more, any better. I too think we made a commitment to her, to give her a "forever home." For better or worse, I think Komala should stay at NZP.

As for Komala, I didn't make it clear enough that the Phoenix elephants and the Bronx's remaining Happy and Patty must all live by themselves, in isolation. That runs so contrary to what we know about healthy elephant bonding that it's avoided at all costs, with only the most egregious exceptions allowed by the AZA. So long as Komala can have occasional successful interaction with even one other herdmate for a short time each day, I suggest that it would be better than to have only separate alone time. When I saw her in January, she was palpably slowed by her arthritis/injury, enough to be perfectly fine with Swarna at an Outpost demo. Keeper and medical professionals have an oath to do no harm--and the Phoenix girls are even more dangerous than she is. As for the Bronx, Jim Breheny has said that it will reduce the population once one of the three died, and not increase again; activists are all over the Bronx to send its elephants away as it is; seeing yet another elephant living alone in what is a very small habitat will probably result in their all having to move--which would be Komala's third and in her elderly years. I agree it might be more enjoyable for us all to see one big happy group all together as @Bozie's Friend and I had the joy to see last week, but Komala was promised a "forever" home. I just don't see anyone meeting her complex needs as NZP can.

I agree with your points, @AmbikaFan. The Smithsonian National Zoo is the best place for Kamala as the institution is committed to providing her, and the other elephants, with the best innovative arthritis treatments, she would be in complete isolation at an institution like the Phoenix Zoo, and the zoo made a promise to give her, and the other Calgary Girls, a "forever" home here. Kamala should remain at the Smithsonian National Zoo under the condition that she is separated from the other elephants but allowed to interact with at least Swarna, Maharani, and Spike with a barrier between them. However, if the keepers are successful in correcting Kamala's negative behaviours, she should be allowed to socialize with Swarna, Maharani, and Spike in the same space. In the best interest of all the Smithsonian National Zoo's elephants, Kamala should be separated from the other elephants, excluding her Calgarian herd mates, but only allowed to socialize through protected contact, for the time being.

 

[AmbikaFan]

Based on the information from the forum, the studbook, and other sources, this is my interpretation of how the course of events unfolded for the Calgary Zoo's elephant herd between 1976 and 1991.

On May 25, 1976, Bandara, Kamala, and Swarna arrived at the Calgary Zoo from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka. Since these one year old calves were the only elephants in Calgary upon their arrival, Bandara, Kamala, and Swarna couldn't learn the proper elephant etiquette from older elephants thus leading some individuals, such as Kamala, to develop negative behaviours. Ten years later, on August 11, 1986, Kamala and Bandara had their first offspring, Chanda, later renamed Calvin. Since Kamala was a high strung, inexperienced, first-time mother, she likely lashed out at Calvin after he was born resulting in her injuring the left front leg of her son. Fortunately, keepers must have been able to reassure Kamala enough for her to accept Calvin as her calf as a photo, taken in November 1986, shows Kamala, Swarna, and Calvin together.

Source: Gallery: We look back at Calgary's awesome elephants | Calgary Herald
Unfortunately, as a result of the injury, Calvin's leg became infected by osteomyelitis, a chronic infection of the bone with sores and ulcers on the surface of the surrounding tissue. Luckily, Calvin overcame the infection but his leg would never properly heal. The injury would later be the leading cause behind his death. On April 3, 1989, Calvin was transferred to African Lion Safari to most likely make room for Kamala and Bandara's expectant calf. Calvin later went on to become one of the most prolific bulls by siring five viable sons in North America and three viable daughters and three viable sons in Europe. Nearly four years after the birth of Calvin, on July 14, 1990, Kamala and Bandara had their second offspring, Maharani. Fortunately, this time, Kamala took to motherhood immediately, and the mother and daughter pair had a good rapport until their transfer to the Smithsonian National Zoo in May of 2014. Sadly, 16 months after the birth of Maharani, Bandara died from congestive heart failure on November 25, 1991, at the age of 16.



The opposite could be said that the separation between the mother and daughter pair is integral for Maharani to successfully reproduce again. Since Maharani is a high strung elephant, perhaps the fights between her and Kamala, after being separated for more than a night, are causing undue stress on Maharani. Is Maharani fighting Kamala as a way of letting off steam or is she fighting her mother because Maharani no longer accepts Kamala as a member of the herd? Since Maharani no longer sees Kamala as a supportive role model, perhaps the negative rapport that's developed over the past couple years between the two of them is inhibiting Maharani from conceiving. Would Kamala's absence cause such distress on Maharani that she might never be able to conceive again or is Kamala's presence preventing Maharani from becoming pregnant? Fundamentally, the reproductive viability of Maharani should be the top priority whether that means keeping Kamala at Smithsonian or moving her to another institution so it may better the odds of Maharani becoming pregnant and continuing her matriarchal line.




I agree with your points, @AmbikaFan. The Smithsonian National Zoo is the best place for Kamala as the institution is committed to providing her, and the other elephants, with the best innovative arthritis treatments, she would be in complete isolation at an institution like the Phoenix Zoo, and the zoo made a promise to give her, and the other Calgary Girls, a "forever" home here. Kamala should remain at the Smithsonian National Zoo under the condition that she is separated from the other elephants but allowed to interact with at least Swarna, Maharani, and Spike with a barrier between them. However, if the keepers are successful in correcting Kamala's negative behaviours, she should be allowed to socialize with Swarna, Maharani, and Spike in the same space. In the best interest of all the Smithsonian National Zoo's elephants, Kamala should be separated from the other elephants, excluding her Calgarian herd mates, but only allowed to socialize through protected contact, for the time being.

The pictures alone from this article provide a lot of interesting information. The most glaring to me is the complete lack of any photographs whatsoever of Bandara, one of the original three to come from Pinnewala in 1976. This group of photos even presents old black and white photos from the previous decade--which proves they loved their elephants and took pictures of them well before Bandara, Swarna, and Komala arrived. Why, then, none of Bandara? This seems like a glaring omission to me. I realize males can be kept separate, but that didn't stop them from taking pictures of male Gyro in the 1960s. I just feel this is a big missing piece of the puzzle. And then dying SO young of a condition elephants aren't known to die from at all..... I wonder if anyone anywhere can tell us more about Bandara? @Hyak_II, do you know anything about him?

Equally noteworthy is Calvin's bent wrist, his left carpus, which is already disfigured at three months of age. It can be common for new, inexperienced moms to consider the newborn an intruder, a threat, and accidentally or otherwise step on the calf. Shanthi actually had this reaction with Kumari, startled and almost frightened of the little bundle. For this damage to be this bad already, I wonder if Komala simply stepped on him after he was born because she didn't know any better. That kind of infection that can literally curve a bone is certainly osteomyelitis, a very grave disease; he's really lucky he survived this. He really went on to contribute a lot to his species ib two continents. Calvin leaving Calgary for ALS at just 4 years of age is odd indeed; baby elephants are hugely popular, so why wouldn't Calgary want to keep him around? Yes, he'd be the perfect breeding bull for Ramat Ghan imports Lilly and Phoebe, but not at age 4. Furthermore, they couldn't have known for certain that Komala even was pregnant in 1989, because Rani wasn't born until 1991. Could the facilities have been so small and restrictive that they couldn't accommodate a tiny animal like Calvin in addition to the three adults? Unlikely. Is it possible Komala didn't get along with her son, and he was removed for his own protection? ALS's Charlie Gray and @Hyak_II are the ones who would know this.

I do question your conclusion that Maharani and Komala got along well before coming to DC from Calgary. The kind of crazy trumpeting and running around and the violent interaction is certainly not something that began overnight. In fact, I almost wonder if this fraught dynamic was as much Calgary's reason for relinquishing them as the intemperate climate. This dysfunctional dynamic is likely the result of many years of ingrained behaviors. Interestingly by the time Spike came along (and not to breed Rani necessarily, but because Hurricane Andrew left Zoo Miami without shelter for its animals), there was clearly sufficient space for four adults, and, judging by what we see today, Spike developed a solid bond with Rani that produced three pregnancies and an even sweeter bond with Swarna, who probably desperately needed and deserved something nice in her life.

The Rani/Spike union produced two live births, in 2004 and 2008. The calf born in 2004 died within a few weeks, and it was reported in a publication I later saw that "Komala and Maharani left the calf to die." Not just mother, but mother and grandmother--that interesting dynamic again. The 2007 calf was named Malti, and Rani was a much better mother; unfortunately, Malti contracted EEHV and died in 2008. If this had been Rani's last pregnancy, she would be considered unsafe to breed now, as the interval has grown to 12 years. However, Rani was pregnant when Komala, Swarna, and Rani left Calgary. Had Calgary had enough of heartbreaking pregnancies? Is this part of why they surrendered their elephants to NZP? Spike went to Busch Gardens in hopes to breed Karnaudi, and by the time he was returned, Rani had passed the safe 5-year mark. I doubt the AZA will wait forever; if she doesn't become pregnant soon, she'll be well past her approved window, and Spike will be moved to one of several places where he could be very valuable, like ALS which has six young girls.

Here is Malti's death announcement. The cause of death is listed as heart failure, but that is secondary to the primary cause of EEHV which ultimately caused the heart failure.

Baby elephant died of heart failure