Confirmation that Mila's new home will be San Diego Zoo: New home for Mila the elephant - Story - Campbell Live - TV Shows - 3 News Good luck to her and those carrying out the transport
Jumbo arrived at San Diego on Thursday night - at long, long last. Unfortunately the BS and misrepresentation about her has continued over there.
Next time I am at the San Diego Zoo I will ask the keepers about her and share what I find out on this post. I can't wait to see her.
I guess the important thing is the elephant is finally on the way to a new home. After all the controversy and BS going on in NZ its good to see the Zoo management have finally accomplished what they said they were going to do. San Diego has a lot of African Elephants, so many I think they have sent some to another zoo to prevent over population. But the ele enclosure is huge and well suited. they also have a web site with a live web cam Elephant | San Diego Zoo Animals
You are confusing the San Diego Safari Park with the San Diego Zoo. The Safari PArk has the huge breeding herd of African elephants and is so sucessful in breeding that they sent two of their adult females with offspring and the former breeding bull to Reid Park Zoo. The San Diego Zoo has built a new elephant facility a few years ago with the goal to provide a home for the old, non-breeding elephants from both parks. They also used this "retirement facility" at the zoo to house two confiscated circus elephants (who have now been relocated to Los Angeles) and the two older elephants from Reid Park Zoo, Connie and Shaba. Some of them have died in the last years and now they have a mixed herd of 2 female Africans and 3 female Asian and one male Asian elephant left. The positive thing is that they have serveral outdoor paddocks and therefore enough space to keep Mila seperated from the main group indefinately if necessary, and with 5 other female elephants, Mila should bond with at least one. I just don`t understand why the news reports say that she has to stay in quarantine for MONTHS. That is cruel and I can`t see why that can be necessary. In Europe, all health tests are usually done before the move and then the introductions can start right away.
Yes, I am referring to the elephants at the safari park. But the zoo is run equally well as far as I have heard. Interesting that they have a mixed heard as one of the issues sending Mila to Auckland zoo was the Zoo directors claim that you can't mix the two species due to disease. In any event the elephant seems to finally have a permanent home where she can live in peace.
Mila will be with 4 Asian elephants, Ranchipur (M) age 47, Sumithi (F) age 46, Devi (F) age 46, and Mary (F) age 49. The other 2 African elephants are Tembo (F) age 42, and Shaba (F) age 33. The San Diego Zoo has had a mixed herd since Tembo came in 1983.
Well, Auckland couldn`t take Mila because as far as I know, they don`t have the facility to manage an elephant in protected contact, and I guess they want to stick with free contact, so they weren`t willing to make the necessary changes. The "disease thing" is not relevent if you are not breeding. The one disease that MAY be passed from African eles to Asian eles is Herpes (EEVH), and that is only dangerous for calves. I say may because according to newer research, serveral of the deadly EEVH strains have been observed in Asian elephants in Asia that never had any contact with African elephants, and some of these strains have never been found in African elephants. The theory that EEVH is a zoonosis exclusively passed in zoos from African elephants to Asians is definately not true. But again, the possible herpes danger is not relevant in Auckland since they don`t breed (and I don`t see that they will ever make the commitment to a family group with a breeding bull...). But it was a convenient excuse for not having to take a "problem elephant". (That doesn`t mean that I think mixing African and Asian elephants is the way to do. I don`t. Their behavoir can be quite different and I think the two species should be kept in seperate herds when possible). Anyway, San Diego Zoo has much more space then Auckland and more elephants = much better opportunities for her to socialize with other elephants, so I am glad for her. It would have been perfect if Auckland had sent Burma with Mila to San Diego instead of continuing their outdated "elephant program"...
I agree with you that the elephant is finally in a good home, it seems ot have taken a long time but they got there in the end. And probably it would have been a good idea if the Auckland Zoo elephant went with her. But at least she has a great enclosure and keepers. The standards for some zoos in NZ should be raised though. that lion place up north should have been closed down years ago, too many lions in too small a cages. But I would assume that's been done to death on here in already.
that is a really happy article, I am pleased Mila/Jumbo is doing so well there. I have to say that some of the quotes in the article (as follows) really do show up what a load of nonsense all the stalling and bull-plop at the Franklin end was with all the claims that Mila needed months or years or whatever to get used to a travelling crate and so on. As many of us were saying all along, she's a circus elephant not a zoo elephant, she knows all about changing environments and learning how to deal with them. "She continues to amaze us with her ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations." "Mila, being the confident elephant that she is, had no problem walking through the large entryway and out into the main facility" "however, she proved ready to explore with enthusiasm, and we couldn’t be happier with her progress into her new home."
Mila meets the shy Shaba Video: Mila meets the shy Shaba - YouTube Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10152935661666664&id=348396615592&stream_ref=1
Sounds like excellent progress, and I think it would be very interesting to be a keeper who gets to watch these encounters unfold. Although I don't think I'd like to see an elephant "over-react", that doesn't sound good!
That's excellent to hear! Well done to all who have helped get Mila to this milestone and those who continue to help her.
Mila, Mary, and Shaba … a herd of 3 https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10152994367856664&id=348396615592&stream_ref=1
This really seems to have been a massive success (in San Diego), it certainly surpassed my expectations. Looking forward to seeing Mila in a couple of months!
