Longleat Safari & Adventure Park Longleat Safari Park News 2014

Like I said for Anne when her new home is built. it's going to be like home sweet home at last. Anne'll love it

 

Hopefully not too far now til Anne moves into her new home and haven in the big game park

 

Here is the Update about Anne and her new haven

Anne has really enjoyed September/October here at Longleat. She has never been a huge fan of the hot summer days (despite our best efforts to give her cool showers throughout the day), so the cooler autumn days are just perfect for her – even if that does mean a higher chance of rain!




The team are constantly coming up with fresh enrichment ideas and devices for Anne, but the most popular by far has to be her very own game of Ker-Trunk. We are really excited to see an old elephant such as Anne interacting with new and challenging devices, even if she does break them occasionally!




We have also recently moved all osteopath appointments and foot care sessions to Anne’s outside enclosure (weather permitting) to give her a different and varying environment to have the treatment. Consequently our visitors may also have the opportunity to see Anne and observe the team whilst they are providing her health care.





Anne's Haven Update




This project is progressing well; the weather has been kind so far! The roof is now complete and the side walls will be installed over the next month. This will result in the building being fully enclosed in readiness for the all interior works to begin. Electrics and Heating & Water will be the main services to be installed along with the interior metal enclosures, these are being constructed off site and will be ready to install in early December.




The concrete floors are all ready for the sand to be placed on top so that Anne will have a comfortable soft floor to walk/lie on. Shortly the outside yard work will begin; the first item to be constructed will be Anne’s pool, followed by the land drains. We trust we will be lucky enough to have the recent good weather prevail a little longer, so that work can be completed on schedule and Anne can be in her new warm comfortable home before Christmas.

 

A male Bongo has also arrived from Boras, Sweden recently

 

Are the bongo a bachelor group?

 

it has been a very long trip for him when he arrived from Sweden and it's Welcome to Longleat for him

 

yes they are

 

How does everyone feel about this update

 

Jedd when I think of the life she had alone in the barn for hours if not days at a time, it sounds as if Anna is being well cared for. I still hoped she would have another elephant at least in an adjoining paddock, for company by nowbeing herd animals I don't like the idea of one alone especially at night when the park is closed and everyone has gone home.

 

Longleat.....

Not all elephants are socialised to their own species. Wendy at Bristol was bullied by other elephants and apparently only really liked people.

 

Oh I see what you mean there dean and that paddock where Anne is right now will be used and open for other elephants so that they can indeed smell each other

 

Does this mean Longleat plan on bringing in more Elepahnts Jedd?

 

Each time I open the thread thinking something new .., it is the elephant female on its own and building progress for her new digs. Nothing against elephants ..., but it is turning into a Longleat only!

Perhaps the elephant thingy ... would deserve its own thread!?


Have the plans for wild dogs and sun bears now been completely shelved?

Still think / feel of all the trad safariparks this one is living in the last century ...!!!

 

I'm sure that's true FFB in fact it goes for all animals, Our late cat thought he was human and did everything we did, it was like having an eternally mute toddler in your life.
My partner always tells people 'Dean prefers animals to people' mind you,watching the news he can hardly wonder why.

 

I think its more correct to say Wendy was bullied by one other Elephant- the female Maya who was obtained as a companion for her late in her life. That particular combination did not work and Maya was sent to Chester.

Afaik Wendy always got along fine with her African companion 'Christina'.She may have been the subordinate one but I never saw or heard of real animosity between them. In Longleat's case I hope they design this so there is the possibility of keeping another Elephant in contact with her, even if they have to be seperate. I can't believe any Elephant would prefer solitude by choice, even if they don't always get along with e.g. non-family members being introduced late in life. Obviously the outcome, successful or otherwise, isn't known until it is tried.-e.g. Buta, the middle aged female at Noah's Ark, seems to be getting long fine with her young male companion.

 

As I remember also Wendy did get on well with African elephant Christina, Maya did bully her later and try to take her food from her. As for Ann, she did live alone on Roberts circus from 2002 until being taken to Longleat but she was a victim of circumstance as she at one time was one of eight elephants on the Roberts show, Mary, Janie, Rebecca, Maureen , Beverley, Rosie, Baby and Ann. Three elephants were taken from this herd when the Robert Brothers split into two shows in 1982 and Ann lived with the other four until they died from various circumstances, Janie and Beverley , Ann's last companions died in the winter of 2001/2 and Ann remained on her own from then on.

 

Like most single Elephants, including Bristol Wendy, Duchess at Paignton and Buta was for a few months at Noah's, the Longleat female became solitary by circumstances i.e. the death of previous companion(s) (or in Buta's case, intended companion). And currently the mature bull Kruger at Port Lympne must be temporarily alone now till he moves(?) to Noah's and of course that 'temple' Elephant in Wales must still be there.

Its a problem finding some of these elderly survivors suitable fresh companionship in their later lives, given sometimes it doesn't work(as at Bristol with Wendy) or the zoo doesn't wish to keep elephants anymore longerterm( e.g. Paignton) and bringing in another elephant just prolongs these problems. Though in the Longleat case I don't think that is an issue if they are building this 'Haven'

 

Maybe there isn't much else going on there....

 

No offence to Blackpool Zoo but their elephant house is not one of the best, perhaps it would be a good idea if their two remaining Asian elephants could be considered for rehoming at Longleat with Ann in her new "elephant haven".

 

A good idea if Blackpool were ever prepared to let them go- and provided the new accomodation at Longleat has provision for holding Elephants seperated (but adjacently) if need be. I am not clear if that option is included in this design or whether from the original advertised plans to house a number of other 'rescue Elephants as well, this has become now a scaled down/simplified version being built just for the single one they have?