Dokkoon is pregnant! » Melbourne Zoo

09-06-2008

On what Glyn said, will Pak Boon also be inseminated as well as Pornthip?

09-06-2008

While we are waiting on our very FIRST baby elephant to hit the ground, it could be some time before we have many babies to worry about, I am sure any excess numbers could be placed in a few other zoos here, and there is aways our three open range zoos that could take a number of these, maybe in time others herds could be founded at WPZ and Werribee, Maybe one day we could have a National Elephant centre at one of the open range zoos if every thing works out well.

09-06-2008

I think Perth would also want some as well because they've done lots of renovations to their exhibit and now they've only two elephants to put in it.

09-06-2008

Yes and the exhibit area is about three times the size now too

09-06-2008

It would be excellent if Australia could have a breeding center for elephants, but if we were to import elephants again, what could happen this time?

Can I ask this though, why did Perth only put two of their elephants in the new exhibit? Is it just for the breeding pair?

09-06-2008

Maybe Perth should look at importing a couple of young females to re-kick start their breeding program

09-06-2008

did I miss something? last time i did my sums, one bull elephant plus two cows equalled three elephants? all the same it is true that Perth Zoo does now have a large exhibit with capacity to hold more elephants long-term.
previously I have worked out the potential holding capacity for zoos in this region for Asian Elephants, by factoring in the inevitable passing of aged stock across TWPZ, Australia Zoo and Perth.
Basically, I dont think were in danger of running out of space for elephants in Australian zoos but without expanding Taronga or Melbourne's exhibits there is no chance that all the Thai females and their offspring will be able to remain together, which is where the AI tool comes into its own.
Splitting the Thai herds isnt ideal, nor is splitting mother/daughters but I recognise it will probably have to be done. On the other hand, if in the future the zoos need to make space they may be able to transport mother and calf to other zoos. For example, if Pornthip conceives to the Singapore male and bears a female calf they could remain together at Taronga and both breed with Gung, whilst it might be decided that Thong Dee and offspring could go to another zoo to form the nucleus of a breeding herd there, for example, Auckand or Perth.
Within both the Taronga and Melbourne herds the elephants, however cohesive do seem to spend time hanging around other individuals more than others, with Pak Boon and Pornthip socialising alot more with eachother than with Tang Mo or Thong Dee. Perhaps if all 4 females do end up having calves it might be more sensitive to the elephants to split the adults up and allow mothers and calves to stay together; delivering on the zoo's promises of developing multi-generational herds and at the same time remaining realisitc of the complexities of managing a social herd species like the elephant.
Given that Australian Zoos have never produced a baby elephant before we should look to the Europeans who routinely transfer female elephants.
We should also be confident that with time and patience a herd of elephants can be 'constructed' from non-related animals and encouraged to breed, which goes against what opponents say.

09-06-2008

I am so looking forward to these births, I thought I'd have to wait until I was about 18 until the zoos could successfully breed their elephants,

Australia doesn't have a very large population of elephants compared to Europe, when or if the gene pool in australia isn't diverse enough in the future, I agree with glyn. It would be very interesting to see the construction of these non-realated herds,

09-06-2008

it is true what youve said but relative to the size of the regional herd we are lucky in having about 50% as potential founders, as well as incorporating the genetics of the Singapore male already.
Currently, if all reproductively viable animals breed in the next few years we're looking at a founder base of twelve animals (thats including Perth's female).
Australia Zoo may import elephants in the near future, as there will most likely be a lapse between their elephants passing on and Australian-born elephants becoming available.
If that becomes the case then the program's viability increases yet again.
I would already guess that Asian Elephants are rapidly heading toward the 'viable' category alongside such species as Sumatran Tiger, Red Panda, Southern White Rhino, Giraffe and Lions, Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Hunting Dogs.

09-06-2008

Australia zoo would be a great place to start a breeding program, the elephantasia exhibit is fantastic, only thing is it isn't baby proof,

11-06-2008

Forming strong friendship bonds seems typical of elephants in captivity(and in the wild?) Sometimes these bonds can arise between comparative strangers rather than longterm familiars too.

At Whipsnade, the four adult females form two 'pairs' of friends- I believe each pair comprises one Whipsnade and one ex ZSL cow, not the two original Whipsnade and the two from London as you might expect. It seems to demonstrate a distinct choice on the individual elephants' part.

At Chester the newly aquired female 'Birma' which had previously lived alone in a French zoo, formed a strong attatchment to their old matriarch 'Sheba.'

EEP recommendations are to move mother/daughter dyads to form new groups so that female calves can stay with their relatives long term. This can't always be adhered to for practical reasons though e.g. the young female which was moved from Twycross to Whipsnade.

11-06-2008

Just on that is Tara going to be used for breeding at all?

11-06-2008

I believe so. She has been in with the bull apparently but they aren't in any hurry for him to mate with her as she's still fairly young. At Whipsnade the bull(emmet) seems to live on his own much of the time- though he can see/touch cows through the paddock fences- and his night quarters are entirely seperate.

11-06-2008

I'm sorry, but can I just say I think I am getting mixed up with Karishma and Tara, or are we? My fault sorry. Tara is Karishma's sister, Karishma is the one at Whipsnade currently, I know she is going to be used for breeding but are the cows in Twycross going to be used for breeding, hmm I think there was already a debate about this, Thanks anyway for the write back.