Asian elephant George is now beginning to display dominance behaviours within the main herd.As a result, keepers have begun to separate him from the group more regularly in preparation for his, eventual, departure.
ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Whipsnade 2014 #2
- Thread starter Nisha
- Start date
because you know Emmett is already in the herd at Whipsnade and this means there is no room for George now. Come to think of it where is George going to
Perhaps the same place that took Euan? Is there any zoo in Europe that has a dedicated Bull facility?
Heidelberg, Antwerp, Sevilla (where Euan went), Bellewaerde and Osnabruck all hold bachelor herds/pairs of young Asian bulls from memory (their is probably more that I've not remembered as well)
According to the elephant keepers, George is just feeling a little left out . He use to be friends with his half sister Donna, but now Donna maternal instinct has kicked in she cares so much for the newest baby Sam he hasnt a friend as his brother Max plays all day with Azzizah precious calf Scott. As Scott feels put out that his place has been taken by his brother Sam he is happy to have a friend in Max, so to prevent Sam getting hurt they are separating George off when he isn't being kind, but he won't depart for at least a year maybe two.
He has also begun pushing the boundaries with Kaylee.
It will be interesting to see how they breed from Donna, when the time comes.
How old is Donna now? Presumably she has now passed the danger period for the Herpes virus and can safely be considered a full member of the group.
She is 5 (born 23/7/2009)
So I think she isn't sexually mature till 9+ so a few years off yet, but she use to be george buddy, but now she wants to be with the other females in the herd and that's why he is feeling left outand causing trouble for the keepers.
For the females' in an elephant herd it is the natural thing to do. They will eventually become the next mother in line …
The boys / bulls will be pushed out of the herd between 8-12 years of age to go live with other young bulls and look on till they mature into their twenties.
A Przewalski's horse mare has arrived from Marwell in exchange for 2 Scimitar-horned oryx. The oryx are to become part of a long term plan to reintroduce the species back into Chad.
Are the horses in the Asian Plains? Was looking for them at the weekend but couldn't find them. Last time I was there they were in the paddock that currently holds the onager.
The Przewalski's are in a separate paddock between the 'Asia Loop' road and the big drive through, running down to the railway line - on the map (Map of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)) it's between where the camel and Sloth Bear images are.
Yes-but from a distance. They're one of the last things you'll see from the train before it returns to the station. I think the railway line acts as a standoff-they're not fully integrated with the other animals.
One a separate note, I've come across a map from the 1940s indicating that there was once a paddock at the foot of the American Bison paddock that once housed wild sheep! Was this publicly accessible and does the zoo still own this land?
Thank you Maguari and Panthera. Can't believe I missed them, will remember to take a look there next visit 
3 Asiatc Lions are now on holiday at Whipsnade whlie their new home at London Zoo is built Cat nap for Zoo?s holidaying lions | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)
I think this means that they will be moving next month, but then they won't be on view for almost 18 months.
Alan
Not quite yet my friend-still building the accommodation behind the kudu/impala stables afaik!
Nice to see ZSL empthasised they'll be off-show when they arrive, but it's still a missed opportunity imo. Surely wouldnt cost much to reconvert the facility once the girls return to London. Plus, what zoo has both African AND Asian lions on site and on exhibit?!?!?
I know I've said it & others have before, but to spend money on an offshow enclosure for these lions is such a waste!
An onshow enclosure that could later be used for another species e.g leopard/snow leopard or hyena would have made far more sense! We'll done again ZSL!