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Paignton Zoo Duchess

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by greyone, 5 Aug 2012.

  1. greyone

    greyone Active Member

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    Hi everyone how is duchess doing?
     
  2. OrangePerson

    OrangePerson Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    What or who is Duchess?
     
  3. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    a duchess is an ornate dressing table, with a mirror on the back ;)
     
  4. OrangePerson

    OrangePerson Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Oh, those you see in bay windows in the suburbs? :)
     
  5. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    hmm, in the suburbs I grew up in the things you normally saw in the windows were rottweilers
     
  6. Gigit

    Gigit Well-Known Member

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    Duchess, the African elephant, looks fine, doing all her normal activities.
     
  7. TriGB

    TriGB Well-Known Member

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    She's the best I've seen her in a few years. Though very hard of sight she is foraging for leaves (after all he rain!), dusting and using the wallow and seemingly spending less time indoors.
     
  8. Nanook

    Nanook Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, give her a duster and she can polish that old piece of furniture (if she can see it that is, bless her !!!)
     
  9. Gigit

    Gigit Well-Known Member

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    Hope this article (copied from Facebook) isn't ominous :(

    Zoo vets monitor elephant
    by Paignton Zoo Environmental Park on Thursday, 16 August 2012 at 03:34 ·
    Animal experts are monitoring the health of an elephant with eye problems.
    In 2011 Duchess, Paignton Zoo’s 42 year-old African elephant, became the first elephant in the country to have an eye removed.
    She had the ground-breaking operation because of glaucoma in her right eye. Cataracts have left her with limited sight in her left. Now, a routine eye check has shown that what vision remains is deteriorating.

    Neil Bemment, Curator of Mammals and Director of Operations at Paignton Zoo, said: “Consultant ophthalmologist Jim Carter from Abbotskerswell Veterinary Centre / South Devon Referrals has confirmed that the cataract has worsened since her last check-up 4 months ago. She is to all intents and purposes now blind, although she can probably still tell the difference between light and dark. In his opinion she is not in pain, which is at least some good news.”

    Staff at Paignton Zoo – a registered charity – have been caring for Duchess’s eyesight for some time now, and she has been trained to accept eye-drops and other medication. She has been on her own since her long-time companion, Gay, a female Asian elephant, was put to sleep in March 2010 due to ill health. Neil: “In spite of this she seems to still be in good spirits, and as keen on her food as always. She receives a lot of attention from her keepers.

    “Duchess’ welfare and quality of life are our primary concern. The chances of an operation to reinstate full sight being successful are not high, the best result might be long sight with limited close vision. Elephants have an acute sense of smell and terrific hearing, so she is well aware of things happening around her even if she cannot actually see them. We are however, considering all of the long-term implications of blindness and will be monitoring her behaviour closely over the coming months.”

    Among the other outside experts involved in her general care are veterinary surgeons John Lewis from the International Zoo Veterinary Group, ophthalmologist David Gould (Davies Veterinary Specialists), David Burton (Burton’s Medical Equipment) and Ian Sayers (Abbotskerswell Veterinary Centre / South Devon Referrals).