On a recent visit to the zoo i noticed odd behaviour from Duchess. She was very vocal, she kept urinating and defecating, she even lay down. Has anyone else notice this behaviour, i tried to email the zoo, but no one saw fit to respond.
Unfortunately, I didn't get as far as the elephants on my visits last week. I'll have a look this week sometime.
Was Gay still ok? Seems odd, she's always been quite relaxed and quite whenever I've visited (many times over the last 18 years ) I'd say she could be in labour but we know that's never going to happen lol
It would, might have kick started breeding this species about a hundred years ago! Did you find out what the problem was greyone?
There's a thread or two already on that, but I'm pretty certain they won't be replaced as the facilities are too small to house a breeding group.
Everyone Hi everyone i finally got a response from the zoo and they say something had spooked them and Duchess had grazed Gay with her tusks. They are ok
Gay's feet From the website: Elephant gets giant slippers 10/08/2009 An elephant has been given a special pair of slippers to ease her aching feet. The elephantine boots have been hand-made for Asian elephant Gay at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in Devon. The hi-tech breathable footwear cost about £250 each (500 Australian dollars) plus shipping and have what staff hope will be elephant-proof laces. They were made by Aussie Dog (a specialist animal products company that has worked with elephants across South East Asia) who were tracked down by Paignton Zoo senior head mammal keeper Julian Chapman and vet Sarah Hewitt. Each boot is about 40 centimetres in diameter; keepers drew around each foot to make patterns that were sent off to Australia. Animal staff have been keeping an eye on Gay’s front feet for some time. Ghislaine Sayers, Head of Veterinary Services at Paignton Zoo, said: “Gay first developed an abscess in her right front foot last year, then in January another appeared in her left front foot. Prior to this, regular foot trimming had detected only the occasional minor foot problem. “Gay gets regular pedicures and antibiotic foot baths, we use anti-inflammatories and aloe vera gel to decrease swelling and provide pain relief. We have also consulted various elephant experts. The boots will help to keep the feet clean between baths and allow us to put on dressings that will help to remove dead tissue, decrease infection and promote healing. “Elephants can get sore places on their feet for all sorts of reasons - posture, age, arthritis, bruising if they stand on stones, lack of exercise, overgrown nails, even a genetic predisposition to foot disease. Gay might have arthritis as she is less supple than before and we don’t see her lying down like we used to.” Paignton Zoo Environmental Park Director of Operations and Curator of Mammals Neil Bemment said: “Gay is nearly 40 years old – that’s middle-aged for an elephant - and weighs around 4 tonnes. Some elephants can be prone to foot problems. Her welfare is our prime concern, so we decided to have these protective boots made which will help in the treatment of her front feet. “We encourage the elephants to exercise as much as possible by scattering their food outside and providing environmental enrichment, but they are not always keen! Given the choice they prefer to spend more time indoors as this gives them closer contact with the keepers, however the floor - up until now - has been smooth concrete, unlike the paddock, which is softer sand and earth.” Now, one hundred tonnes of sand has been put down in the elephant house and rubber mating provided to give Gay softer surfaces underfoot and to make it easier for her to get up again should she choose to lie down.
