Hello, I have read a few comments about the African Lion Safari and I have to say I disagree with it being a good place. Not that I want to bash them, I am sure the majority of the people there are concerned about wildlife conservation, but how they run things is just inhumane. I used to work for them a few years back, and quit due to the treatment of the monkeys, and that the lion and tiger enclousers was two small for the amount of lions/tigers that they were housing. The moneys in order to get into the monkey choot, were shot with bebe guns. They were terrfied. Certain staff would just simply hold the gun up and they would scream in terror. And once had a monkey that had a bleeding eye and the supervisors statement was "oh it is just a monkey". and left it as that. I wish it would close down.
When I was there in 1997 I thought the big cats had enough room for each species. The African plains exhibit was huge with the animals looking well. In regards to the Asian elephants I saw all the animals even the ones out the back in the holding yards and all looked great, they do have a large (around 15) successful breeding herd from what I understand one of the best herds in North America having bred many babies. The lake where they swim twice a day is the largest I have seen for elephants anywhere
I visited African Lion Safari about 5 years ago while on holiday in Canada, so I can't really comment on it's current state. I have however read about criticism that has been levied against them regarding their elephants over the past year. I have to say that it confirmed something that I suspected at the time. They have too many elephants for a park that size.
They do have large holding areas out the back what the public do not get to see also the elephants are taken into the forest to roam and feed at times, this park is not small
African Safari Again, I can't really comment. One visit, five years ago, makes me far from an expert. I can only really comment on what I've read. And as the saying goes you shouldn't believe everything you read. I know from experience that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes at zoos than the public gets to hear about. I also know that that a lot of animal rights activists pose as animal welfare groups in order to undermine Zoos and wildlife parks. So I tend to be even more cynical when it comes to reading articles and the fact that the African Safari has a large breeding group is a very positive sign but I think the concerns being raised were how much access the elephants had to the paddocks over the period of a year and how much time was spent with each individual elephant.
As most of us here on the forum know there are groups of people who will say just about anything to stop animals from being kepted in zoos and elephants are one of those species they like to target, If you read back on some of the older threads about the imported Thai elephants into Australia you will find out that these groups made all sorts of comments about the elephants will never breed here ect which now has been proven wrong with two resent births and more on the way, at least one of those animals doe's not have to be a "street" elephant anymore.
A female Indian rhino has arrived from the Buffalo zoo. Buffalo Zoo's young rhino moved to Canada - WSJ.com
Todays opening was faced with a small protest over animals in captivity. The protest did nothing to discourage people from coming. Protesters crash zoo opening | CTV Kitchener News
News I've found. Rex on of the bull elephants is the father of Oklahoma Zoos future elephant calf. Heres a heres an article on it. Also an elephant ultrasound which is cool. Sonogram shows tiny elephant trunk | WTKR.com THere was an female elephant calf, Nellie, born in August to Natasha and Johnson. African Lion Safari - Canada's Original Safari Adventure
Oops I missed the word from. Still those that loved him up here might be interested in his impending fatherhood. Plus an elephant sonagram is pretty wicked to see. I hope they release more in the future as the baby grows. That would be amazing. Sorry for the error and thanks gerenuk for catching it.
I have uploaded a bunch of photos to the gallery from a family trip in 1988. Easy to get the date when there was photos that included my brother and I as kids.
I had no idea but apparently the safari uses Australian Cattle Dogs to herd the elephants and its quite effective. Dogs Play Big Role For Elephant Handlers At Pittsburgh Zoo CBS Pittsburgh
I saw the dogs with the elephants a couple years ago. It was really interesting to see the two species interact.
Here's a clip of elephant Chuck doing an elephant version of a slam dunk. Slam Trunk: Basketball-Playing Elephant Throws Down at the Zoo
I am amazed that African Lion Safari has a to-die-for breeding record in terms of northern zoos (they are, after all, in the middle of Canada's snowbelt). Would anyone happen to know what it is that African Lion Safari is doing that allowed them to keep so many elephants in a questionable climate? I know Asian elephants can tolerate cooler temperatures: I think they have been found at the foothills of the Himalayas.
Huge news. Not one, not two but three Asian elephant calves have been born. Hannah is the oldest being born Oct 19, 2014 to four time mom Lilly. She was joined by Gigi Feb 24 2015 born to first time mom Emily. The baby of the group is Anna May who arrived May 4 2015 and was born to first time mom Opal. No word on who their father is but Johnson was the father of 2013 calf Nellie so its very possible its him. African Lion Safari shows off its 3 baby elephants - Latest Hamilton news - CBC Hamilton African Lion Safari shows off 3 'big beautiful' baby elephants | CTV Toronto News
I visited ALS this summer. My daughter is in college studying to be an elephant keeper, and she knows the entire AZA studbook, all of the Asian elephants and their lineage throughout North America. We have been to many of the roughly dozen US zoos breeding Asians, but she has wanted nothing more than to go to Rockton to see this spectacular success story. They have bred 17 calves over the last 20 years, second only to Ringling's Elephant Conservation Center in Florida, which has bred 26. I have to say I was simply amazed. The physical husbandry and mental stimulation these elephants get is wonderful. They have a state-of-the-art indoor barn and 300 acres with a lake off-exhibit that used to be a camping area. This is in addition to the spacious exhibit that the matriarchal herd is generally in, the ampitheatre, and the huge lake where about half of the elephants walk, trunk-to-tail, each morning and afternoon to take a public swim. Yes, the facility offers elephant rides, which activists routinely compare to prostitution, but the two grand old ladies being ridden looked so positively radiant that my daughter--who long opposed this--melted and eagerly suggested that we take a ride on each! There is no stereotypical behavior like swaying or rocking usually found in zoos, and there has been no incidence of TB or the elephant herpes virus that has been fatal for about a third of the calves born in the US in the last 20 years. And each elephant is so well-behaved and well-disciplined that they make most humans look impulsive. 6-year-old Chuck and 16-year-old George walked patiently around the entire ampitheatre letting visitors touch them and ask questions. And while activists will insist that the presence of the bullhook means that the elephants are tortured and beaten to achieve this degree of training, there is simply no evidence of that here. These elephants clearly adore their keepers; during one of the performances we saw repeatedly over two days, a keeper showed how mahouts got up on the elephant's shoulders to ride. Elephant George looked up at his keeper Steve with a look of pure love each time, as if worried he was ok each time. ALS is virtually the only facility in the US or Canada that holds elephants that has not been mentioned with derision in the In Defense of Animals "worst" lists each year. What they do is SO good. Johnson is the father of Nellie, Hannah, and Anna May; George is Gigi's father. (Since Johnson and Emily are half-siblings by Kitty, they can't be bred.) I don't know if visitors have any idea that ALS's Charlie Gray is world-renowned for his work with these elephants and his HUGE contribution to this field. This may be a for-profit facility unlike most zoos, but it is absolutely giving more than it gets by giving so freely to the cause of saving this species. He has sent one of his first calves to Europe, where as a poster said above, Nickolai has contributed significantly to a static gene pool. In addition, Gray has loaned stud Rex to Oklahoma City so they could start a breeding program that has now produced two female calves. Gray did the same thing for the Albuquerque Zoo in New Mexico, giving them two young studs, Albert and Samson. With only 25 male breeding-capable male Asian elephants in all of the US--and many of those in private circuses--these loans are contributing in a very tangible way to the survival of the species. To my knowledge, except for the relatively short loan of Calvin from Calgary, ALS has yet to receive any reciprocal benefit from its incredible generosity. This place is a treasure, one I wish could be duplicated everywhere. It was a 10-hour drive for us and I have chronic arthritis, but I find myself wanting to go back. And if there weren't such restriction on foreigners getting permanent jobs in Canada, my daughter would be thrilled to devote her career to elephants there under Charlie Gray's tutelage. Experiencing elephants at such close range and in such family groups elicits an emotional connection to the species from visitors that is sure to instill a desire to save this species.
The safari is waiting on the birth of the first giraffe calf conceived using frozen semen. How a giraffe expert is working to protect their genetic future - Latest Hamilton news - CBC Hamilton
According to the safari's facebook page and videos it looks like they have a bison calf, zebra foal, at least two older African lion cubs and four fairly young looking white lion cubs.
