European elephants #2

On my neverending research for former Dutch elephants I virtual traveled to Warsaw to find three elephants from Tilburg Zoo (closed in 1973), and Rotterdam Zoo. Until 1999 the zoo of Warsaw kept Asian elephants. After the death of the last elephant the zoo changed to African elephants.

The list of Asian elephants:

Kaska (Kasia, Kaatje), 0.1, born?. Came to Warsaw in 1884, and left on December 31, 1891 to an unknown location. (Studbook #912)
Kaska II, 0.1, bron ca 1918 (wild). Came to Warsaw from Frankfurt in 1928. She died in Warsaw in December 1939 during the aftermath of the battle of Warsaw, probably she was hurt. (Studbook #1802)
Jas (Jasiek, Hans), 1.0, born ca 1926 (wild). Came from the old zoo of Rotterdam to Warsaw in May 1929. Died in Warsaw on September 2, 1939 during the bombardments of Warsaw. (Studbook #2602)
Jenny, 0.1, born ca 1932 (wild). Came to Warsaw in August 1936 en left the zoo to an unknown location in April 1939. (Studbook #3207)
Tuzinka, 0.1, born on April 16, 1937 in Warsaw. She was the first elephant born in this zoo. Mother: Kaska II, father: Jas. German soldiers took her in December 1939. What happened to her is unknown. (Studbook #3702)
Kaska III, 0.1, born ca 1946 (wild). Came to Warsaw from Antwerp on August 1, 1951. She died in Warsaw on July 21, 1956. (Studbook #4604)
Jasio Part, 1.0, born in 1910 in Vietnam. To Warsaw on September 5, 1955, and died there on November 11, 1956. (Studbook #1002)
Rayah (Rajah), 1.0, born ca 1949 (wild). Came from Rotterdam Zoo to Warsaw on July 23, 1957. He died in Warsaw on October 9, 1998. (Studbook #5704)
Sonia (Sonja), 0.1, born ca 1945 in Sri Lanka. Came from Tilburg Zoo to Warsaw on September 3, 1958, and died there on July 31, 1999. (Studbook #5803)
Nera, 0.1, born ca 1962 (wild). Came to Warsaw on April 27, 1963. She died in Warsaw on July 9, 1998. (Studbook #6306)

Note 1: After the battle of Warsaw the German soldiers took all surviving zoo animals and brought them to unknown locations.
Note 2: After the Second World War the city of Warsaw was completely destroyed including the zoo. The zoo was rebuild on a new location from 1946.
Note 3: In 1998 and 1999 the last three elephants in the zoo died. The zoo now planned to build a new exhibit for African elephants. This exhibit was opened in 2003, and there are three African Elephants present (1.2)

 

Summary of the updates on European elephants the first six months of 2008

Births

Zoo Wuppertal
January 13, 1.0 African elephant. Mother Sweni (15), father: Tusker (16). He is named Tamo, and was 97 kilograms, and 90 centimeters at birth. The zoo has now a herd of 3.6

Zoo Whipsnade
Born on January 17, 1.0 Asian elephant. Mother: Azizah (24), father: Emmet (17). The little bull was 103 kilograms at birth, and he stood on his legs for the first time after 20 minutes. It was the second child for Azizah. The herd now exists of 9 animals (3.6)

Zoo Dublin
Born on February 17, 1.0 Asian elephant. Mother: Yasmin (18), father: Alexander (30). The little one is named Budi, and was 80 kilogromas at birth. He walked within 30 minutes on his four legs. It was the second child for Yasmin (Anak, born in 2003). For Alexander it was his 11th child, altough he wasn't aware of it because he is living in Amersfoort Zoo.

Zoo Howletts
Born on February 17, 0.1 African elephant. Mother Tammi (21), father: Jums (26). She is named Uzuri, and was 75 kilograms at birth. She is the third child for Tammi, and the ninth for Jums. The herd now exists of 13 animals (3.10)

Zoo Emmen
Born on February 25, 1.0 Asian elephant. Mother: Htoo Yin Aye (27), father: Radza (41). He is named Ananda Yinghtway, which means 'Son of the Greatest' refering to his father the 'tallest' bull of Europe. He is called Anandá for short. His weight at birth was 130 kilograms.

Stillbirth on March 7 for Asian elephant Swe San Htay. The foetus was circa six months old.

Zoo Cologne
Stillbirth on March 11. It might be the foetus of Shu Thu Zar, which died earlier.

Le Pal, Dompierre-sur-Besbre
Born May 4, 0.1 Asian elephant. Mother: Nina (15), father: Chang (27). She is named Jade, and was 92 kilograms at birth. She is the first elephant ever born in this zoo. For Chang it was his 11th descendant.

Zoo Hannover
Born May 6, 1.0 Asian elephant. Mother: Khaing Hnin Hnin, father: Calvin. He is named Shanti. It was the first time for this zoo that the elephant mother could deliver on her own without interfering of the vet or keepers. All went well. The little calf drank his first milk from his mother after 2,5 hours.


Transfers:

January 31: Sandrine (EM) of Zoo La Barben moved to Zoo Givskud. It is said that Sandrine could not fit with Dora, and she lived separated. Givskud however searched for a leader for their two young females. La Barben is planning to rebuild their exhibit and wants to keep - besides female Dora - some young bulls.

March 4: bull Jambo (LA) from Zoo Colchester to Bioparc Valencia. The young bull (born March 15, 2004) lost his mother in November 2007, and was immediatley adopted by the two ladies Betty and Greta (from Moscow Zoo in September/October 2007). Later his halfbrother Kito will come to this zoo too.

April 1: Bull Nicolai (EM) of Artis to Zoo Hannover. Nicolai is supposed to replace Calvin (22), who could mate his daughter. Before he left he made Thong Tai pregnant (baby expected Spring 2009).

April 10: Johti, and Vishesh (EM) from Zoo Belfast to Zoo Ostrava. The 40 years old Johti and her 11 years old daughter Vishesh were send to Ostrava on advise of the EEP-holder. In Belfast they had no future planning for these two. Ostrave extended their exhibit, and the two newcomers meeted the two ladies who came in 2004 from Artis (Jumbo and Suseela). Maybe Calvin from Hannover could come to Ostrava too (negotiations are ongoing).

July 9: Sibu (EM) from Rotterdam to Dierenrijk. This 4 years old male was causing to much troubles with the rest of the herd. Dierenrijk build a complete new enclosure for three young bulls only.

July 9: Than Myan (EM) from Emmen Zoo to Dierenrijk. Six years old Than Myan had to go because he and his halfbrother Kan Kaung were the great trouble makers of the herd.

July 10: Kan Kaung (EM) from Emmen Zoo to Dierenrijk. This also six years old bull followed his halfbrother to Dierenrijk. All three young bulls in Dierenrijk are doing well.


Deaths:

Zoo Aalborg: February 27, 1.0 African elephant Tembo. He suffered from an unkown disease.

Zoo Barcelona, February 29, 0.1 African elephant Alicia. She suffered from a colic. The 46 years old elephant leaves her best Susi (28) alone in this zoo.

Zoo Ramat Gan, March 7, 0.1 African elephant Norris (39). Norris died after being infected by the dead body of her seventh son who stocked in her pelvis.

Safaripark Sigean: March/April, 1.0 African elephant Bambo. Bambo was raised by the keepers after the death of his mother just after his birth on July 9, 2002. Bambo was a weak and always sick elephant.

Zoo Leipzig: June 13, 0.1 Asian elephant Rhani (55). Rhani suffered from foot disease, and was to much in pain. Therefore she was euthanized.

 

Bull Alexander will stay in Amersfoort until Spring 2009.

 

That's good news, all the more chances for pregnancies,

 

Borås Zoo in Sweden just got an African elephant baby, it was born the night between Monday and Tuesday. It doesn't have a name yet although. It's their fourth elephant baby.

 

That's excellent news thanks! Interested what they will name it,

 

Good news indeed. It's a bull btw. Father is Kibo, mother is Dudu. She got two female calfs before. For Kibo it is his fourth calf (one of it died).

 

It's really funny for Borås too, we have the potential to be the birth coordinator in Europe for African elephants, i think...

 

That's good! Would you two know which is the coordinator for births of asian elephants?

 

rotterdam zoo. or more specifically, the zoo director.
allthough he's retiring. I'm not sure the EEP will stay in rotterdam.

 

Oh, thanks for that I had a hunch that it would be Rotterdam or Hannover,

 

Mr Martin van Wees is assistant co-ordinator, maybe he will take over the co-ordinatorship of mr Dorresteijn.

 

Shocking video of an elephantkeeper who beats an one year old elephant with his bull hook. This was in Berlin TP, and caught on video by PETA

Bild.de (also some photos)

I can not, and will not understand, why this zoo, and many others, don't want to change their keepingsystem. Hands-on is far out of date. Berlin wants to be a modern city, but one of their zoos is very old fashioned.

Some comments - even by the European Elephant Group - says that the keeper was in danger because the elephant was angry. Sure, first step into the enclosure, then "ask" the elephant to do something he don't wanted to, and when the animal got angry you are afraid to be hurt. Why stepping amongst the elephants in the first place? And what was the reason he kept on beating when the elephant fled?

 

Looks nasty, but the keeper needed to correct the elephant for what could have turned out to be an attack on the keeper. Is it any worse or different than smacking a child when they do wrong?
It's not like that would have caused him any serious injury, and the training is for his own good.
However the keeper should not have hit like that, and should not have hit him that many times.
It's videos like this that give all zoos that keep eles in free contact a bad name.

 

Smacking children as punishment for wrongdoing is prohibitted by law in Germany and it is considered as unacceptable.

This kind of training is NOT doing any good for an elephant calf. The calves in Berlin are teached to stand on their hind legs and other stupid things, seperated from their mothers. Medical training is necessary BUT that can be done in a protected contact situation and it will never be necessary to beat an elephant. It`s jsut the darm dangerous, outdated free contact systhem which makes physical discipline "necessary".

 

I didn't say it was necessary to beat him, that was wrong of the keeper to do so.
And I didn't know that the training was circus like, in which case it has no benefit to an elephant in a zoo.
Yes, I know it's forbidden to smack children, and I think it's another ridiculous law that the UK government so kindly gave us too *rolls eyes*.
Abusing kids (and animals) is not on, but there's a difference between apprehending and abusing, weather it be a child or elephant.

 

I think you have to look at the different cases, in asian countries, when training elephants they simply whack the elephant when they do something wrong, but of course not too hard. Again I think it will come down to comparision of elephants and humans, of course I'll sound byist here but if you want to punish elephants like humans, give them time out or ground them, not let them have treats for a while or such,

 

That's my point: Realistically any elephant in free contact will need to be hit on some level, however in the video the keeper does hit the elephant too hard and too much.
And I not sure if a time out would work for an elephant

 

well, perhaps for sort of more so mental punishment than physical,?

 

If you want to train an elephant to be a potential 'killer elephant', this is the right thing to do. Will they ever learn? When a keeper is hurt or killed by an elephant, it's always the elephant to blame, not the way the zoo is keeping the elephants.

The keeper is always the victim, but in stead the elephant is being made a victim by beating him when he was young. Even the mahouts of India, Birma, etc. are being killed by their own elephants. Why? When such accident happend everone is shouting that the mahout was such a tender man who loved his elephant, and now the same elephant has killed him.

Recently a group of elephant researchers published an article where they stated that even elephants can suffer from PTSD. Elephants who saw their own family killed during a 'culling' but who where young and not killed but sold to zoos and circuses, are potential 'killers'. This can also be with the Asian elephants who are being 'prepared' for a circus life in the training camps. This can explain why an elephant one day can 'go crazy', and can kill his keeper.