that certainly is interesting Tim and Ian, not at all what I was expecting!
Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens Sumatran rhino returning to LA Zoo
- Thread starter DavidBrown
- Start date
IanRRobinson
Well-Known Member
One thought does occur (other than humidity, availability of fresh browse, availability of water, enclosure size):- keeper wages in Calcutta in 1889 can't have been high, so there may have been a lot.
An Indian rhino keeper might well have had experience with working with elephants, beasts where if they're not kept under observation you end up squashed. This pair of animals' keepers were surely very highly skilled animal observers. It's not as if they'd have had access to hormone level monitoring, after all.
Just reading through this thread and various speculations wrt ovulation and progesterone levels in female Sumatran Rhinos.
This is no doubt a very long shot, but it occured to me, that I had heard of the same thing happening in humans as a result of the effects of certain pesticides/ herbicides (e.g. atrazine) consumed via drinking water. This can have the effect of lowering the progesterone level and therefore can cause issues with pregnancy. Of course, this could affect all mammals and not just Sumatran Rhinos but is there a possibility that pesticides in drinking water or food could be having this effect, and therefore the addition of synthetic progesterone remedies the situation? Atrazine is present in US drinking water and also highly likely to be present in natural water sources in Malaysia. The concentrations are vanishingly small but it appears that effects can be seen at these very low concentrations.
I guess the experts would have already investigated this??
That is a very interesting hypothesis. I can't add anything really except to say I remain convinced these pregnancy issues with Sumatran rhinos are related to captive environments only- it is not a natural phenomenum, I'm sure.
Yes, I agree, even this was the reason it probably isn't an issue in truly 'wild' environments well away from agriculture. But not sure of proximity of Malaysian SR centre to farmland? If atrazine is sprayed on nearby fields, it may also be present on browse/food as well as in the water.....
perceptron
Member
As of my visit last Thursday (29 mar) he was still behind the scenes. I have no idea what the future plans are though.
I asked on the zoo's Facebook page if there was any news on whether Harapan will ever go one exhibit. They said that no decisions have been made, which seems weird as he has been at the zoo for several months now and they made a big deal in their newsletter about his arrival. It seems entirely possible that he never will go on exhibit, although sad because that is a major opportunity lost to raise awareness of Sumatran rhinos.
Mr T
Well-Known Member
To me it seems very strange to move him if they are not going to put him on show. He could be form part of an excellent educational exhibit. I bet most of the people who visit the zoo wouldn't even know there was such thing as a Sumatran rhino, let alone know how rare and endangered they are. A real shame if he is not put on exhibit.
Blackduiker
Well-Known Member
If not, it would be the first time they had a Sumatran Rhino yet didn't put it on exhibit. This being the third time having one.
I for one hope he does go on exhibit [for selfish reasons and for the greater good of education] - I'd love to see Sumatran rhino, and I'd love to go to LA/San Diegos - unfortunatly due to the sheer cost of getting to America then I want to know he isn't going to go on exhibit a month after I visit, so I am effectively waiting for him to go on-show, move or die so that I'm not kicking myself a few weeks/months after going
That is one idea and if it comes to it then will certainly consider it, it's more a matter of conveniance that California holds more places I want to visit and more species I want to see - such as Emperor penguin, California condor and a good amount of other stuff
- one other option is to try and save to do a long trip across America as I want to do Florida as well, so could try and get the three states done Blackduiker
Well-Known Member
Blackduiker
Still a possibility. Although for now, the former hippo yard has reverted back to being one of three Indian Rhino yards, as before. A more likely home for Harapan would be the Sichuan Takin yard. That's where the previous home has always been for Sumatran Rhinos, and with the departure of the Japanese Serows, their former hillside space is my guess for the future home of the Takins. Of course nothing is certain right now.
Whats up people out in LA. my ? is that whats in the hippo exhibit cause i thought harapan was gunna go in therewatch i bet you what there gunna do is put harapan on exhibit next year for that new rainforest exhibit.
Still a possibility. Although for now, the former hippo yard has reverted back to being one of three Indian Rhino yards, as before. A more likely home for Harapan would be the Sichuan Takin yard. That's where the previous home has always been for Sumatran Rhinos, and with the departure of the Japanese Serows, their former hillside space is my guess for the future home of the Takins. Of course nothing is certain right now.
That is major news about White Oak closing. Are they going to dismantle the entire wildlife facility there?