Zoo Atlanta Zoo Atlanta 2008-2011

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okapikpr

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The zoo has announced some ideas for the zoo's future:

*Moving the zoo entrance to make better use of space
*A new reptile house (the zoo has an amazing reptile collection)
*Expansion of the famous Masai Mara (designed by CLR design) with hippos
*Expansion of elephant exhibit, quadrupling the current space (which isnt much in terms of space but is layed out well and has good terrain/substrate)

There was talk of moving the zoo out to the suburbs, but these plans have ended any rumors of such a move.

For anyone unfamilar with the zoo, the zoo is rather small (35 acres) and has five basic areas:

*Masai Mara with black rhino, african elephants, african lions, mixed giraffe, zebra, ostrich. Smaller additions have been made over the years including bongo, meerkat, warthog, and various birds.

*Ford African Rain Forest with Lowland Gorilla and Drills. This is another of the zoo's CLR designed famous exhibits. It has 4 seperate enclosures for gorillas and houses the largest gorilla complex in the US - Terry Maple the former director is a big ape fan.

*Asian Forest with Giant Panda, Orangutan, Komodo Dragon, Red Panda, Small-clawed Otter, Tiger, Clouded Leopard. The Orangutan exhibit is somewhat similar to the gorilla enclosures except with TALL climbing structures and three enclosures. They house breeding groups of Sumatran and Bornean Orangs

*The Reptile House. The only area that has not seen any renovations.

*Children's Zoo with various exotic birds and small mammals. The petting zoo area is australian themed with kanagaroos and birds. A small train surrounds this area.


The zoo is also close in distance to the Georgia Aquarium, making for good full day at the zoo and aquarium. For being a small zoo with a small collection, it is one of the best zoos in the country (based on quality). However it hasnt seen much improvements or renovations in the last 10 years and is starting to showing much wear and tear. These new plans will be much welcomed to this "tired" zoo.
 
I saw the gorilla exhibit on Zoolex and it looks amazing.


Do you know the current area of the elephant enclosure and how big they plan on making it?
 
Zoo Atlanta is famous for its giant pandas, gorillas and orangutans. As one of only four North American zoos with pandas (San Diego, Washington D.C. and Memphis being the other three) then naturally the panda pair and their young daughter garner most of the attention. However, the gorilla group is also supposed to be amazing to watch. As far as new exhibits are concerned, I think that they added meerkat and warthog enclosures last year.

In the late eighties the zoo was regarded as one of the worst in North America, and yet with the help of the famous director Terry Maple (and tons of cash) went on to create a small yet high quality institution. Many of the notable exhibits were built in the late eighties and early nineties. This summer I actually have included both the enormous Georgia Aquarium and Zoo Atlanta in my road trip plans...and so I'll be posting updates on both at the end of August.
 
PAT said:
I saw the gorilla exhibit on Zoolex and it looks amazing.


Do you know the current area of the elephant enclosure and how big they plan on making it?
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The gorilla area is great! As for the elephant exhibit, it is also posted on zoolex. The area I believe the area is less than 1/4 acre, which if the zoo quadruples it - that would only make it about an acre - not much really. Originally the zoo was only to be a non breeding holding facility for elephants. Their girls were to be sent to North Carolina and Atlanta would receive DAK's oldest two elephant females.

You would think that Atlanta would put some space behind a breeding program like the gorillas and orangutans. But those exhibits were built under Terry Maple's philosophy.
 
The 6 Zoo Atlanta exhibits that are posted on ZooLex are below, and they are all around 20 years old now.

Monkeys of Makokou:

Exhibit


Ford African Rainforest:

Exhibit


Masai Mara's Rhinos:

Exhibit


Masai Mara's Giraffes:

Exhibit


Masai Mara's Lions:

Exhibit


Masai Mara's Elephants:

Exhibit
 
on the elephants

I hope the zoo more than quadruples the elephant exhibit since one of it's females is now pregnant.
 
I visited Atlanta last year in February. At that time when l spoke with the elephant keeper. There were no plans to use any of the elephants as breeding stock. She did acknowledge however, that they would use IVF if that were to change. Apparently very common in the elephant breeding programs. I was not aware of this being common place till then.

My concern would be that a male elephant being raised by a group of women ;] another gay elephant!

A male elephant needs to learn discipline and how to behave from the example and discipline from an adult male. If not when he matures he will have problematic behaviors. As seen by the many adult males that cannot be housed with a family group.
Yes l do understand that females will do this. It just does not seem to be as effective.

Another peeve is all the training that zoos give elephants under the guise of enrichment! Really just a elephant circus show.If a zoo cannot sustain a viable family group they should not have elephants. As a family group, with space provide. All the enrichment necessary is there.

Stuart R Webster
 
zooman said:
I visited Atlanta last year in February. At that time when l spoke with the elephant keeper. There were no plans to use any of the elephants as breeding stock. She did acknowledge however, that they would use IVF if that were to change. Apparently very common in the elephant breeding programs. I was not aware of this being common place till then.

My concern would be that a male elephant being raised by a group of women ;] another gay elephant!

A male elephant needs to learn discipline and how to behave from the example and discipline from an adult male. If not when he matures he will have problematic behaviors. As seen by the many adult males that cannot be housed with a family group.
Yes l do understand that females will do this. It just does not seem to be as effective.

Another peeve is all the training that zoos give elephants under the guise of enrichment! Really just a elephant circus show.If a zoo cannot sustain a viable family group they should not have elephants. As a family group, with space provide. All the enrichment necessary is there.

Stuart R Webster
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I don't think a male elephant being raised by females will result in problems as this is how wild elephants are raised. Bulls rarely stay with a herd and the young are looked after by the matriach, the mother and any other adult females in the herd.

Just a point about the "elephant circus show", most of the time the keepers are training the elephants to show them a body part which would help greatly when health checking them. It's much easier if the elephant is willing to show it's foot to the vet (for a reward) rather than knocking it out just for a check-up. The same principle is also used on apes.
 
zooman said:
I visited Atlanta last year in February. At that time when l spoke with the elephant keeper. There were no plans to use any of the elephants as breeding stock. She did acknowledge however, that they would use IVF if that were to change. Apparently very common in the elephant breeding programs. I was not aware of this being common place till then.
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That's weird because there is a press release in the zoo's website that came out in November 2007 that says that Dottie was AI and now they have confirmed the pregnancy.

Here is the link: Zoo News -Zoo Atlanta Announces Elephant’s Pregnancy
 
mstickmanp said:
That's weird because there is a press release in the zoo's website that came out in November 2007 that says that Dottie was AI and now they have confirmed the pregnancy.

Just passing on what the keeper said to me at Atlanta???

Stuart R Webster
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Just read the link. They obviously changed there plans in the period between my visit and the AI, 9 months. Maybe not so wierd a change. If they have confirmed the increase of there enclosure.

Sturt r Webster.
 
CZJimmy said:
I don't think a male elephant being raised by females will result in problems as this is how wild elephants are raised. Bulls rarely stay with a herd and the young are looked after by the matriach, the mother and any other adult females in the herd.

Just a point about the "elephant circus show", most of the time the keepers are training the elephants to show them a body part which would help greatly when health checking them. It's much easier if the elephant is willing to show it's foot to the vet (for a reward) rather than knocking it out just for a check-up. The same principle is also used on apes.
Click to expand...

Most of my knowledge of elephants come from many long conversations with the elephant keepers at Howletts. It is there experiance that l pass on regarding the education on a male in captivity.

They also pointed out that. When there elephants gets a injury to a foot as you point out. That they will present there foot of there own accord to be treated.

Yes definatley the same principles are used for apes. Its just that this is not presented to the public at 11am and 2pm!

I do agree that a certain amount of training is required. So that animals in captivity can be cared for. My point is more to do with if a zoo cannot house a family group of elephants ensuring a appropriate amount of enrichment. They should not have them. Idealistic l know.

Very suprised that a bull elephant does not stay with heard. Not that l have a great deal of experiance with wild groups of Elephants. Just that any documentry l have seen. Has always shown bull elephants with the heard.

Stuart R Webster
 
To summarize on the above comments:
Bull elephants are solitary in nature, only temporarily joining herds to breed females in heat. Bull calves are raised by the matriarchical herd until the calf comes of age and is pushed out by the herd. Basic elephant natural history.

As for training, it is a form enrichment - not just a tool to help manage in captivity. And circus elephanta are usually healthier than zoo elephants, since they receive more regular exercise and constant mental stimulation from their training programs.
 
Okay then, a question why do Howllets and SAP both keep there bull elephants within the family group?
 
zooman said:
They also pointed out that. When there elephants gets a injury to a foot as you point out. That they will present there foot of there own accord to be treated.

Yes definatley the same principles are used for apes. Its just that this is not presented to the public at 11am and 2pm!
Click to expand...

That first point I would say was either the elephant picking it up at an early age by watching it's mother present her foot or the keepers have taught it and the elephant knows what to do.

Just because the public are invited to see some of the training techiniques used on the elephants doesn't make it any different. It allows the public a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes efforts of the keepers and what it's like to work with animals.
 
zooman said:
Okay then, a question why do Howllets and SAP both keep there bull elephants within the family group?
Click to expand...

Not all facilities house their animals in natural groupings, but often they management them in the most efficient way. I know of several bulls that are kept with females on a regular basis, and I know of more that seperate their bulls except for breeding or socialization. Obviously in any social grouping of captive animals it will also be necessary to seperate when needed as the animals' personalities allow.
 
I remember Sekayu from her years in Phoenix. She had at least a couple of litters while she was there. Her mate was Kubu, who last I heard was living at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, but I'm sure he's passed on by now.
 
Dottie & Tara

A preliminary report was published stating that cause of death for Dottie was Pneumonia. Has a final necropsy report been publish?

Has Tara been Artificially Inseminated?
 
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