Berlin TP (Asian) elephant Birth » Berlin Tierpark

Berlin TP (Asian) elephant Birth
16-12-2008

25 year old Kewa has given birth to her 3rd calf, The father is Ankhor. I read about her possibly being pregnant but I never thought she be soo far along.

Translated version of http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zeitung/berlin/detail_dpa_19828526.php

16-12-2008

The little girl is even her 4. calf....

16-12-2008

If the next Calf is female, ( don't really mind) then Ankhor is one of those bulls who has even amount of male and female offspring.... just a randomn point.

16-12-2008

Very random point , but just goes to prove we need some good bull enclosures to hold these more likely surplas male elephants.

16-12-2008

Yeah so true, the probably with Established herds, is that there aren't many of them. ( with a successful breeding bull and about 10 females) And when the bull has around 13 descendents he needs to be shipped of to non-breeding facilities. e.g. Naing thein and soon to be Alexander.
There aren't enough bulls to go around in short.

16-12-2008

You have to look at it all as a work in progress, most zoos that are serious about breeding elephants are slowly buiding there herds up. UK have two decent sized Asian elephant herds. However there is two many zoos that will not hold bull elephants.

16-12-2008

oh yes I have read up on the work they have been trying to do.. thanks anyway. Great job to all the workers helping out!

17-12-2008

The Asian elephant EEP needs to maintain 250+ elephants sustainably. This includes breeding herds, bachelor herds as well as flat-liner cow herds and elderly elephant herds. Each particular management system requires a different exhibit design.

In general, elephant exhibit design and construction is a long term exercise and a fairly costly affair. Consequently, elephant exhibits are slowly coming on stream and in-line with new minimum standards. The Asian elephant EEP is fairly strict on zoos not wishing to hold a breeding herd ...!!!

Again, for those zoos committed to buidling up a naturally structured elephant herd with conservation breeding purpose ... it is a long term view! I suppose in another 5-8 years most zoos now considering new exhibits will have realised their building plans. Construction of several is on-going as we speak.

17-12-2008

Another point what just came into my head, being that since particular bulls have mostly male offspring, probably only one or a lucky two bulls will be used for future breeding. This was discussed on another thread,

Example like Naing Thein's offspring there are 8 is it? Male adolescents in different zoos in Europe, even 4 of them are in the same facility. Shame in one way, but for the best in another..

17-12-2008

oh and apparently to the elephant database. The calf is female? The article I first posted though claimed it was a male? What gender is the calf??