North American Asian Elephant Institutions

I say just send Patty and Happy to Tenessee while using their previous space for Indian Rhinos. Then if you really wanna, you could renovate the whole monorail space to be a better exhibit for all the Asian animals like we all fantasize about

 

I know I'm a broken record, but elephants are the poster animals for conservation, and with so few places to see one now, it seems inconceivable that New York City would not be able to show millions of people--who otherwise might never experience this remarkable animal--just what an elephant is. In addition, Happy is famous for the "recognition of self" research she proved. Keeping elephants in the Bronx would entail utilizing space on the "mainland," not Asia Trail, so I'm all for improving that area and introducing rhinos.. Perhaps a retirement herd until a breeding group is found, but not having elephants in NYC would be devastating, for both conservation of elephants and conservation in general. And it's a pure waste of expertise and acreage that surpass any other zoo in the US. Given their unique advantages, I think they have a responsibility to keeping elephants in New York.

 

Given that i'm starting to wonder if ALS is getting a surplus of elephants, maybe it could send some of its elephants there, maybe Johnson as their main sire.

 

Lol. I'm sure ALS doesn't view its seven little girls as a surplus. I'd be all too glad for any solution that ensures elephants will always be in NYC, but remember that Johnson is the father of six of those little darlings and related to nearly all females of reproductive age. ALS does send its males away, however. ABQ's Albert, Portland's Samson (and previously Tusko via Have Trunk Will Travel), and now-Denver's Jake and Chuck are already in the US, Phoebe was sent to Columbus maears ago, and they sent Calvin to Europe where he was an extremely prolific sire until his early death relating to a gruesome foot injury early in life. Just as other males are rotated around the US to keep matriarchal herds together, so too will Johnson probably go to another institution. His father is Calvin, who is now extremely well-represented in both NA and Europe, so I think retirement may be in Johnson's future once he's done at ALS, which could still be 10 years. The Bronx zoo is such a big force in international conservancy that they would probably be able to get wild-born animals to start a herd.

 

Have Trunk Will Travel moved from California to Fredericksburg/Stonewall, Texas and has renamed their new facility the Hill Country Elephant Preserve, or simply just The Preserve.

Hill Country Elephant Preserve
The Preserve

 

The Topeka Zoo has confirmed 61-year old Cora, their last asian elephant is under intensive care following a diagnosis of heart failure, meaning she could be deceased in a few months. This means the Topeka Zoo will no longer exhibit asian elephants, and will be focusing on expanding their african elephant program.

 

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Little Mac has been euthanized a year after Sujatha at Santa Barbara Zoo, leaving the US with one less institution holding asian elephants.

Santa Barbara Zoo's last elephant dies

 

The Cincinnati Zoo is only planing on displaying Elephants at Elephant Trek. Elephant Reserve will be expanded and at the moment the the current plans for it are White Rhinos and Grevy’s Zebra, another type of Giraffe, or something else. The new elephant indoor barn will be under the visiting area at the front of the habitat. After the last Indian Rhino died the zoo decided to phase them out and put their focus on Black and Sumatran rhinos. Also no matter how much I want those moves to happen I doubt the zoo will be getting rid of the girls but last time I talked to the director he said that the zoo is trying to bring in some female elephants from Europe and maybe new male.

 

White Oak is now a North American Asian Elephant holder with the arrival of 12 cows from Ringling.

Elephants arrive at White Oak Conservation in Florida - White Oak Conservation

 

Why not stay with black rhino and expansion. Plus a New breeding group of Asian eles less the Asian rhinos for the Trek. Seems sufficient pachyderm representation to me!

 

When you say that they decided to put their focus on Sumatran rhinos, do you mean in an in-situ conservation sense, or do you mean that the zoo actually has plans to get Sumatran rhinos on exhibit at some point in the future ?

 

The last Indian Rhino died in 2014. At the time, the zoo still had Sumatran Rhinos.

I would be amazed if there were plans to reacquire them, but I don't believe there are. Cincinnati is still promoting their conversation without holding them, in a similar way to that of zoos elsewhere in the world, like Taronga.

 

I wish they could exhibit Sumatran Rhinos again but currently they are only doing in-situ conservation with the Way Kambas National Park team.

 

I would assess the situation that given historical developments no Sumatran rhinos will ever come back to US zoos. We can only but live in hope Republik Merdeka Indonesia will be able to save the species with combined overseas assistance and funding.

 

Do you mind telling where you heard this?

 

The zoo director told me this back in October of 2020. It has been a while sense than so some plans may have changed.

 

It would be nice, once the elephants have been moved, if they turned it back into another version of Vanishing Giants, considering how short lived the exhibit was.