Maybe they didn't go to each for its overall quality but the quality of certain points about it. Like Disneys thematics and immersion.
Intriguing that the San Diego Zoo is going to stop exhibiting Asian elephants at its Wild Animal Park. The 5 Asians currently there will join 3 others at the Zoo, creating a herd of 8 Asian elephants for the opening of their 2.5 acre "Elephant Odyssey" in 2009. The remaining elephants at the Wild Animal Park are all African, and will now double their roaming space by occuping the vacant Asian habitat as well as their current enclosure.
@writhedhornbill: good point about the african elephant, because I think that there is just the one at the SD Zoo. I'm assuming that it will transfer over to the Wild Animal Park, and beginning late this year the two species of elephants will be always held at the two different locations.
Do you know that the park plans to expand its africans into the asian exhibits for sure, or is that an assumption? I know the Asians are going to the zoo but as far as I can find they have NEVER said what will happen to their current exhibit.
Elephants put on a show to remember - Los Angeles Times @Ituri: there is the link. The Africans will take over the Asian exhibit.
Snowleopard Thanks! I have been looking for confirmation of that for a long time. I guess with all of the changes they have made at the park I didn't trust them to not turn the Asian elephant exhibit into a ferris wheel.
Note in the article snowleopard posted that Tembo (the SDZ's African ele) is NOT expected to move to the park: "... to join three elephants there in a new exhibit". Tembo has been at the zoo with Sumithi and Devi for 25+ years now; it will be interesting to see if they integrate the two groups, or keep the zoo elephants and park elephants in separate parts of the new exhibit ... based on the current set up at the WAP (as a breeding group), trying to introduce Tembo to them would be a big risk.
You're right the African elephant is staying at the Zoo for now. What I've been told is the they are going to try to integrate the African "Tembo" along with the two Asians to the Park herd. But the San Diego Zoo folks are not sure if it will work. Apparently Tembo is considered a bit of an outsider amongst the Asian. They basically tolerate her. So one of two things will happen when the Park herd moves. The Zoo Asians will become closer to Tembo as their past buddy or they finally leave her behind altogether. The idea is to bring the Park elephants one or two at a time and slowly introduce them to the Zoo elephants in new territory so that no one has home field advantage. It will be interesting. It sounds like the Park folks are very excited to give their growing herd of Africans double the space they have now!
since the zoo is already going to the effort of integrating two existing groups of asian elephants, you would think they would at least try to introduce the zoo african to the herd at the park. then again, the whole history of elephants at the park/zoo is a bit weird. did they ever try and integrate the african elephant at the zoo with the "old" african elephants at the park? you know, the ones they dumped to make room for the imported wild herd?
it seems like all the wild-caught swaziland african cows have given birth except for swazi, the dominant female. is there any explanation for this?
I heard somewhwere (don't take my word for it) That in elephant herds if a younger cow breeds before an older cow in the herd then that cow won't breed at all. But this could just be a totally random theory.
Patrick -- If they had removed Tembo the Zoo would be below the recommended level of three elephants per herd. Moving individual animals and introducing social animals like this is a long process. Knowing they would be moving the Park's previous African elephants out, it made no sense to send Tembo away. Kelvin -- They've seen the bull breed Swazi but she just hasn't conceived yet. She's the same age as the other females so they're not sure why. All tests show she's healthy. Though with so many calves the Park is OK with Swazi not giving birth. Okakikpr-- Look on the Zoo's Website in the visit section. They have an interactive map. You'll see the takin exhibit (near polar bears). Right at the restroom near taking and running along all the way to meerkat exhibit will be Elephant Odyssey. In fact the map has a gray area that shows you were it is.
@SD Critter: Is 2009's "Elephant Odyssey" going to be about 7 acres, 2.5 of which will be for the Asian elephants? I've read a lot about what is planned for that large exhibit, except for what it is replacing. What is happening to the old elephant mesa section of the zoo?
Plans showed that the new elephant area can be divided into two yards, so the zoo may not have to integrate the zoo herd and the park herd.
do they also recommend that a "herd" be made up of the same species? personally i think its pretty surprising that a zoo such as san diego, the most famous zoo in the world, is only "catching up" with in 2009! i also think its pretty ancient and poor practises to keep a mixed species "herd" (if you can call it that - its hardly a herd). especially with all the disease risks associated with such. i assume they will be trying to breed asians in "elephant odyssey"...
Patrick, that animal has probabbly been with the 2 asians at SD for the last 20 years or and extended amountof time, to rip her from what she knows is probably not whats best for her. They also probably 20 years ago didnt realise the total effects of EHV. Whilst i agree that probably not best for them to breed with an african in the herd, you do have to think of all the animals singualy and do whats best. It's easy to sit abck and critise without any actually knowledge of the herd structure, or history. I actually dont think it will be a breeding group to begin with, all the animals are aging, and i am not sure if they ever breed at SDWAP.
DDWAP- to be moved to SDZ Name Species Sex Status Origin Age Sunita - EM F PC wild 59 Cha-Cha - EM F PC wild 41 Mary - EM F PC wild 44 Cookie - EM F PC wild 53 Ranchipur - EM M PC wild 42 All extremely old elephants- actually makes me wonder why they re not getting new younger ones, and retiring the rest! Already at SDZ only details- 2 asiasn 1 female- all female. No details from H-SPHERE
zooboy. firstly i think there is a fair argument that an african elephant may indeed be happier with its own species, despite spending years being "bonded" with asians. read the earlier post and you'll see someone mentioned the word "tolerated" as a better description of the relationship. secondly. I HATE zoos "retiring" elephants to get new ones. i hate that the WAP sent its older africans off to chicago (where they quickly died), i hate that taronga sent burma to dubbo (and don't tell me they knew they would be getting more asians in teh future) and i would hate it if SDZ went and got "new" asians just so they can show off babies. they own these animals and they have a responsibility towards them. attempted integration is a better and more humane policy overall.
