Elephant SSP

18-03-2008

I believe Scott and Heidi want to retire. So they were originally going to sell the farm to the SSP to become the National Elephant Center. But word leaked and the sale got to much press for the Riddle's so they backed out of the deal. Now it seems that they are selling off their animals instead of the whole package. Which for breeding purposes this might be better, but the land is a much better geographical location to serve the TAG as a national elephant center than south florida.

18-03-2008

Thanks for that okapikpr

21-03-2008

Male African Elephant born at Baltimore Zoo on Wednesday to Lil' Felix who arrived last fall at the Baltimore Zoo from Riddle's.

21-03-2008

Hi,

Do you have any opinion at what age females become too old to breed for the first time?
European EEP said that 25 year old females usually have big difficulties to breed for the first time. I think border is even lower - most really succesful cows had first calf under 15, closer to 10.

Second question - what is minimum group size?
Forest elephants in Congo and semidesert ones in Namibia live solitary or in small groups. This is obviously dictate by local food reserves. They seem not to differ much behaviorally (otherwise) from other elephants. And some European zoos, esp. in East Europe, succesfully bred 1.1. or 1.2 groups, if containing compatible females and mature bulls. I think compatibility of females can be more important than size of herd.

21-03-2008

I believe that 30 is too old for an elephant cow to breed for the first time. There has never been a breeding of a first time mother at age 30+ in North America that ended successfully. I have heard of elephants in their late 20s giving birth for the first time, successfully. Ideally I would prefer that the age limit be 25/27. But if the cow is important enough, it wouldnt hurt to try if she is older. I also agree that younger cows in their teens tend to be more successful and successful well past 30 years.

The AZA Elephant SSP reccommends a minimum herd of 0.3. I agree for herd mechanices that compatibility of females is extremely important (most general public do not seem to understand this). This is why most zoos that are building new elephant exhibits made for breeding have more than one pen. Not just to exhibit males, but possibly small herds if females dont get along, especially when breeding reccommendations require all of the zoo's females to breed with their male. It is still important, mentally, for all elephants to socialize with other elephants. No elephant should live by themselves, unless by choice they prefer solitary life. And if you have two elephants, then why not have three.

From what you seem to be asking, I would answer that individual compatibility is important but to an organization that manages breeding populations, holding space and genetics is more important - its the zoos' job to manage what makes up their herd and its mechanics. Zoo design keeps making more strides that allows felixibility for this. The AZA's reccommendation that I mentioned is not only for the elephants' social nature, but mainly to increase holding space within US zoos and encourage growth in elephant numbers.

21-03-2008

I looked at asianelephant.net and some zoos I know.

Apparently female who first breeds at 20 hardly raises more than one calf. Already considerable proportion of females put into breeding groups at 15 never falls pregnant, while often, younger cows in the same herd become breeders.

I wonder if it is real rule, and should be observed by zoos trying to form breeding herds of elephants?

22-03-2008

Right now in the US, since most elephants are considered founders, zoos are trying to breed every elephant possible to create the future gene pool of the captive population. Im sure in the future, age will become a factor. But by then most of the young breeders would have been born in captivity and exposed to a healthy breeding herd.

The AZA requires that all elephants undergo a reproductive assessment to determine breeding potential. I believe these assessments are what guides the SSP to make transfer reccommendations, whether the females move to a breeding facility or a holding facility (of which most zoos in the US are considered holding facilities for now). I do know that there are younger (less than 30 yrs old) that are held at holding facilities because of a poor reproductive status.

Asian Elephants in North America
23-03-2008

Asian Elephants have long been apart of zoos and circuses in America. The 1st births occured around the turn of the 20th century in circuses, most with the Sells-Floto Circus. The modern elephant breeding programs get their start from one man, Morgan Berry. Morgan Berry, a keeper at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA and an imported of animals, maintained a herd of elephants. In 1962, one of his elephants gave birth while wintering at the Portland Zoo. This was Portland's famous elephant Packy, born to Thonglaw and Belle. Berry's elephants are also known with the programs at SDWAP and Houston.

Packy's birth led to a long history at Portland of elephants births, resulting in 27 altogether. Now only 5 elephants remain from this famous bloodline. In the 1980s and early 1990s, many zoos became involved with Asian Elephants due to their Endangered status, the popularity of calves with the public, lucrative sale of calves, and the later formation of an SSP. These zoos included Houston, Miami, Calgary, SDWAP, Syracuse, African Lion Safari, Ringling Brothers, Hawthorn Corporation, Forth Worth, and Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, MO.

Dickerson Park Zoo's elephant breeding program began the short-term loaning concept of a regional breeding facility. This allows only a few zoos to hold males (still a bad idea for genetic diversity) and zoos nearby could send their females to breed at the regional facility (Syrcause also used this method). This way every zoo would not need to house a male. Dickerson Park hosted females from all over the country including: St Louis, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Baton Rouge, Cincinnati, and a few circuses. This created a well established bloodling that carries on today.

Many hear of Ringling Brothers' famous elephant breeding program. However, its program should be attributed to Richard Schmidt. His herd of elephants were located at Circus World, then Busch Gardens Tampa, and finally Ringling's Center for Elephant Conservation. This herd has resulted in more than 30 elephant births, most from one bull - Vance. While this program it not apart of the SSP, some offspring have made their way to zoos and bred successfully. It should be noted that this bloodline be watched carefully as not to created over-representation in the SSP.

In the last decade two facilites, the Elephant Sanctuary and PAWS, both on oppostie ends of the continent, are providing a refuge for retired elephants that are unwanted, have been confiscated, or have seen worst days. While these sanctuaries are not apart of the SSP, they serve a very important purpose to those animals that are no longer wanted. While some of these animals come from zoos, all of those from depressing enclosures, most are from private individuals.

With the help of AI and many transfers, the Asian Elephant programs are being restarted, after many years of a lack of interest in zoos' acquiring additional elephants. So far, there has not been as much success as the African program, but only time will tell.

Current Asian Elephant Breeding Herds in North America
23-03-2008

FACILITY ADULTS CALVES
Ringling Bros. CEC (Polk City, FL) 4.10 4.5 *Non SSP
Busch Gardens (Tampa, FL) 0.6 (pursuing AI) -----
National Zoo (Washington, DC) 0.2 (pursuing AI) 1.0
Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Syracuse, NY) 1.3 -----
Columbus Zoo 1.2 1.0
Cincinnati Zoo 1.3 -----
Riddle's (Greenbrier, AR) 1.2 -----
Dickerson Park Zoo (Springfield, MO) 1.4 (looking for new male) -----
St Louis Zoo 1.5 0.2
Tulsa Zoo 1.2 (+0.2 from Oklahoma City) -----
Carson & Barnes Circus(Hugo, OK) 2.2? 1.1 *Non SSP
Houston Zoo 1.3 1.0
Fort Worth Zoo 2.4 -----
Rio Grande Zoo (Albuquerque, NM) 2.3 -----
Los Angeles Zoo 1.0 (looking for females) -----
Have Trunk Will Travel (Perris, CA) 0.6 2.0
Oregon Zoo (Portland, OR) 3.3 due fall 2008
Honolulu Zoo 0.2 (pursuing AI) -----
Calgary Zoo 1.3 0.1
African Lion Safari (Rockton, ON) 2.9 2.2

A few other herds exisit. Little is know about some and other are not significant.

Known New Construction or Design to Hold Asian Herds
National Zoo (Washington, DC)
National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center (Front Royal, VA)
Rosamond Gifford Zoo (Syracuse, NY)
Buffalo Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo
Houston Zoo
Rio Grande Zoo (Albuquerque, NM)
Denver Zoo (just bachelors?)
San Diego Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
Chaffee Zoo (Fresno, CA)
Oregon Zoo (Portland, OR)
Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle, WA)
Honolulu Zoo

23-03-2008

Thanks for so much information!

Certainly, herd in Florida is impressive. I don't know of facility in Europe which holds over 20 elephants!

I'm curious about short-term breeding transfers of bulls or cows. How long loan is necessary for female to fall pregnent?

23-03-2008

I believe short-term breeding loans was two years or until the female became pregnant, whichever came first. In the studbook, I've seen some females on a few short-term loans - none resulting in pregnancy I presume. There are no short-term loans as of right now, due to new construction, assembly of breeding herds, and AI. Im sure in the future there may be some, but not to the extent as it was in the 1990s.

04-04-2008

Montgomery Zoo has another pregnant African Elephant. She has been introduced to their new calf and its mother, prepping her for motherhood. She will probably be due sometime this year.

05-04-2008

Is their bull their sire? If so, is he unrelated to any other breeding elephants and thus a new founder? What about the females at Montgomery: what are their names and histories?

05-04-2008

The bull, Sdudla, is the sire for both calves. He is on loan from the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL and arrived in January 2006. He was part of the Swaziland import a few years back. He is wild-caught and considered a founder, however he may have some unknown relation to the other Swazi import elephants. The females are all former circus elephants and all arrived in December 2004. Mary and Tanya were temporarily held at the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Pensacola, FL before arriving in Montgomery. Star is originally a Nautilus calf, and was temporarily held at the Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC before her Montgomery arrival. All of the females are also wild-caught founders (as are most african elephants in the us).

05-04-2008

The bull, Sdudla, is the sire for both calves. He is on loan from the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, FL and arrived in January 2006. He was part of the Swaziland import a few years back. He is wild-caught and considered a founder, however he may have some unknown relation to the other Swazi import elephants. The females are all former circus elephants and all arrived in December 2004. Mary and Tanya were temporarily held at the Gulf Breeze Zoo in Pensacola, FL before arriving in Montgomery. Star is originally a Nautilus calf, and was temporarily held at the Riverbanks Zoo, Columbia, SC before her Montgomery arrival. All of the females are also wild-caught founders (as are most african elephants in the us).