well im suprised that no one has mentioned this yet altohugh they may have and i cant find it? but Melbourne has annouced that Dokkoon is pregnant throguh AI! Melbourne Zoo celebrates elephant pregnancy - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) even though Sydney beat Melbourne this time! its still very exciting news Two new babies is a great thing for the program
Great news, I wonder what female is next for the AI?, hmmm, Maybe some imported semen from Radza in the furture would be a good move, A new bloodline from a great bull
intresting to note that this pregnancy has not had the same reaction as Tarongas. this could be because at 15 Dokkon is a fair bit older or it may just be becuase the news is till new but i wish the best of luck to them hope all goes well for both births and the critisisms of the program dont overshadow the amazing achievments that elephant pregnancies are
When i heard the news i thought that it was no good because taronga beat us but then i remembered that i won't be in sydney for a little while after WYD and this is as good as i'll get for a baby elephant.
Yet one more rivalry between the two great cities of Melbourne and Sydney. The elephant pregnancy is wonderful news, and let the countdown begin!
Yay pregnancies in Australia. Apparently Melbourne zoo only used Bong Su sperm to inseminate her. And does anyone know when conception date is?
No they hope that this would occur but since Bong su was captured from the wild at a young age he never learnt how to mount, Mek Kapah mantained a sister realationship with him.
He seems rather bemused by it all. When I visited earlier this year the girls were showing a lotof interest in him. Backing up to him, raising their back legs at him etc but he just stood their as if to say "what the?"
I think in this case, Thi did more than 'help' Sithami - as she'd lost her own calf she partially adopted 'Sundara' and did about 60% of the work. But the concept is much the same. I noted last year how much 'Sithami' has grown since- her growth evidently not being impaired by producing a calf at such a young age.
I agree with you on that, although Bong Su never grew up in the right enviornment, he should have been stimulated to some extent, the situation is much like humans, take example kapah who was a sister figure and then these new girls come, naturally if they are in heat a bull will mount them. Very complicated can't find the right words for it. But there is one theory i have, could very well be wrong but: When Bong Su comes into contact with the females, Kapah could be very protective of them, but then again she should know Bong Su very well. In the wild though Matriachs and bulls don't get a along very well,
Bong Su would need to be paired up in a bachelor herd and get hot with a more experienced bull. We have seen the same thing in Europe with some bulls who without that early vital experience of mature bulls will not "happen" and seem out of place with interested cows. It is a serious cause for concern (particularly so, since no mature bulls are available in Oz)!!! Another reason still that a 3rd or 4th bull are needed to complement the breeding programme. Any indication when Australia Zoo is getting in on breeding Asian elephants?
Perth Zoo has been trying to breed their elephants for quite a while. They at one point i think performed A.I. Putra Mas is the second oldest bull, 19 years old. Permai the cow, was actually observed being mated by Putra, but there has been no pregnancy. Though Putra didn't grow up in a herd society ( he came here pretty young) he knows how to mate, Just a point I'd like to bring up,
Chester's original & firstborn Asian elephant was 'Jubilee' born in 1977. His father died before he was born and he grew up in a small group of females only, no other calves either. At maturity 'Jubilee' was never a breeder and he had a rather 'female' appearance, lacking the normal and distinctive bull elephant's shape and build. Was this a form of 'emasculation' caused by never seeing/smelling/contacting another male elephant? This is why I fear male calves produced by AI where there is no bull at the zoo concerned could run a similar risk. Bong Su is a typical impressive bull and in his case I think it is mainly lack of stimulation that has caused this failure to breed the new females. But I still wouldn't rule out a successful mating in the future for him.
