Elephant seals in captivity.

I remember the blue penguins being held in a small pool near the old Hippopotamus House.

 

I heard that PPG Aquarium in Pittsburgh, PA, USA is taking in a blind female elephant seal to accompany Coolio, their 4-year old male partially blind elephant seal.

Someone uploaded footage of Coolio a few days ago, but I haven't seen anything official about the female e-seal.

 

There is pictures of sweetheart, who is not blind, but I cant remember what the problem with her eye is. As far as I know the two have not interacted yet. A newsletter from the zoo a couple months back had a couple pictures of her

 

I had to mute the video

 

Thanks! I tried searching their site and google for the newsletter but was unable to find it, do you happen to have a link? I'm wondering how they'll interact due to the size difference and that the only inter-gender interactions in nature are during molting and breeding seasons.

 

No It was mailed and I have no idea where it went

 

Contacted PPG, and they said that Sweetheart was renamed to Ellie Mae, and that she will be introduced to the outdoor exhibit, then the California Sea Lions, and finally Coolio after they feel she's adjusted. It sounds like she'll be on exhibit soon for anyone interested in the Pittsburgh area.

 

Just thought I'd throw this out there:

Sells-Floto Circus Southern Elephant Seal Poster - Circus World Museum | ZooChat

 

First video of the female (Ellie Mae) and male (Coolio) elephant seals interacting in the same exhibit!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=621605438276823

 

The first Southern elephant seals wer brought in captivity by Hagenbeck. A young pair was catched on South Georgia and arrived at Hamburg in June 1910.
A photo of the pair :


( no copyright anymore )

 

Found a note in a Dutch ornithological magazine ( "Ardea") in which this shipment is discribed. In the article its clearly told that the shipment arrived Jan. 23 1914 at Rotterdam harbour and that 4 of the 8 King penguins were taken from the ship to went to the Rotterdam Zoo. The rest of the shipment was going to Edinburgh,
Don't know however when the ship left Rotterdam harbour and how long it would have taken for a ship to get from Rotterdam to Edinburgh....

 

On the subject of early captive elephant seals, about nine months after Hagenbeck obtained his animals, London Zoo acquired its first southern elephant seal on 23rd March 1911, when King George V deposited one at the zoo.

Three years later, on 6th April 1914, the Duke of Bedford presented two specimens to London Zoo.

 

Posted these notes just at the thread "Historical notes from Rotterdam" but guess it would be also be placed in this thread :

Southern elephant seals at Rotterdam :
The first Southern elephant seal which arrived at the old Rotterdam Zoo was Achiltes, an ( almost ? ) adult male which arrived on July 28 1932 from Hagenbeck Hamburg on loan. The animal refused however to eat and died 2 or 3 weeks later ( mid-Aug ). On ZTL the death-date of this animal is marked with a questionmark.
In the period 1939 -1940 the new zoo at its current place was build and for the new zoo also elephant seals were planned but because of the troubles caused by the Second World War this plan was cancelled.
In March 1970 a female Southern elephant seal named Nanuska arrived at the zoo but lived less then 2 years, she died Dec. 1971.
Also in 1970 ( in Oct ) a male was obtained to be paired with Nanuska. This 3 year old, 3 meters long animal was catched on the Falkland Islands and was named Leo. Leo must have died somewhere in 1977.

Arrival of Leo - Oct. 1970

Leo, May 1977

To replace Nanuska, Rotterdam obtained a new female Cornelia which arrived March 1972. The 2 Elephant seals did quite good together and in Feb. 1974 Cornelia gave birth to a young - the first ( and only ) Elephant seal born in the Netherlands. The young died however almost immediately after birth and also Cornelia died several hours after the birth because of a heart-dissease .

Arrival Cornelia, March 1972

After the death of Cornelia Rotterdam obtain a new female from Dierenpark Wassenaar. Joke arrived at Wassenaar in May 1967 and was sold to Rotterdam in Feb. or April 1974 ( found different dates about the arrival ). Joke died May 1977.

Joke, 1974

Of these animals I've seen at least Leo and Joke and most. prob. also Cornelia.

 

Enoshima Aquarium in Kanagawa Prefecture (Japan) had a massive male elephant seal. Its second, in the history of the aquarium. I forgot their names. It passed away in the early 2000s. Plenty of Baikal seals in Toba Aquarium and Hakone Aquarium, both in Japan.

 

This might be of interest. Back in the early 70's when was 11-12 years old my family went to Sea World of Ohio (now closed) and at the sea lion show the trainers brought out a male elephant seal for about 5-6 minutes. The trainers had him rear up and the trainer hung a wooden ( maybe plastic) cut out of a guitar and the elephant seat strummed it with its flipper as part of its act. Being a young animal nerd I remember being amazed and excited at seeing it as much as the orca. Till this day its the only time I've seen a live elephant seal.