Chester Zoo The Future of Chester's Elephant Breeding Program

As has been said in previous posts, it's first and foremost an entertainment show. I do think it would be good to have a dedicated show on the topic, but wouldn't be surprised at a lower viewer figure for it, or higher 'complaints' that it wasn't entertaining enough.

 

What they showed us was heartbreaking enough. More detail wouldn't go well with the jaunty music and merry quips from keepers.

 

The deaths of the elephant calves had to be covered and I think that the sequence shown was pretty good, although perhaps the choice of music was not quite right. It was important to show the efforts at treatment, even though they failed. I would have liked to see someone else in the team (one of the vets or Tim perhaps) summing up and saying that all animal keepers know that the animals they look after will die one day and it's always hard, but it's part of the job and an inevitable part of the life of the zoo.
For that reason, I don't think a whole episode about this would have been appropriate. Perhaps there might be one next year about the fire in the Monsoon Forest and the reconstruction and restoration which is now under way, as was mentioned in the last episode before Christmas.

 

I felt the story was handled well and have no issue with it being part of a 'normal' episode. I personally would be interested to watch a full documentary about EEHV (with input from more than just Chester) and what is being done to combat it - but that is not what SLOTZ is intended to be... and I think that is ok.

My heart broke watching the video footage of Nandita and Auyu's last moments and I have a great deal of respect for the keepers for being willing to be interviewed about it - and I also think they made some important points clear. I didn't notice the music being a problem either tbh.

 

I think the other things to consider when watching SLOTZ and Animal Park is their viewers. We zoochatters have an understanding on individuals ie; whether the animal is a hybrid and why an animal needs to be moved and so on. However the majority of viewers will be what I call "zoo muggles" and all they are interested in is watching to see certain species ie; elephants,giraffes etc plus they like to watch births. A lot of people will never have heard of EEHV so this does need to be covered on these programs but muggles won't want to watch an hour on it.
Personally I quite like it to go into depth about it but it has to appeal to a wider audience at the same time.

 

For what its worth I don't think it was neccessary to show footage of the dead elephants, and found it a bit disrespectful to show this and footage of them when they were dying. If the show wanted to educate about EEHV, surely it would have been more beneficial to show some of the science team and give them a chance to talk about what they're doing in the ongoing fight to cure the disease?

I do agree though that an hour of such a heavy topic on SLOTZ wouldn't be appropriate, its probably better to cover it as part of a 'normal' episode to try and reach a bigger audience; though I can't help but feel that this was more about drama/shock value than genuine education.

 

The Smithsonian NZP has been at the forefront of NA EEHV research, and for many years, zoos would have to send their tests to Washington. This is the current information from the Smithsonian lab.

National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory | Smithsonian's National Zoo
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/national-elephant-herpesvirus-laborbatory

 

Today is World Elephant Day!

 

Do Chester Zoo typically announce elephant pregnancies?

Indali will be three in December; so it’s likely her mother Sundara could be pregnant again.

While Thi could breed again; I’m guessing after nine calves and approaching 40 years, they’ll be allowing her to retire, so any future calves will be coming from Sundara and Indali (eventually).

 

SLOTZ announced last year that Anjan would be Thai's last calf. I believe her arthritis was giving keepers concern and although she is still of breeding age she has retired from the breeding programme. Although not all her calves survived to adulthood she has been a valuable contribution to the breeding programme.Assam,Sundara,Indali and Anjan are her surviving descendents.

 

Chester don't usually announce the pregnancy of any mammal nor the laying of eggs by birds, reptiles etc.

 

The SLOTZ episode showing Thi's great difficulty walking while pregnant with Anjan really indicated the severity of her arthritis. However, I'm not entirely certain this should necessarily mean the end of Thi's breeding career. Once she had given birth to Anjan in the episode head keeper Alan noted that being a new mom again was just what she needed, that her arthritis abated at these times, presumably from hormones.

Further, I think there is considerably more they could be doing for Thi's arthritis even while pregnant and off medication. They showed her getting "hydrotherapy," which was merely spraying her legs with a hose. She could easily be doing foot soaks--four limbs each in tall buckets of medicated warm water--without affecting the baby. Most zoos here also use cold laser therapy to reduce pain and inflammation in arthritic joints, and even veterinarians use it regularly after surgery to minimize both. This article describes some of these methods being used, but the plasma transfer at the end is producing significant results.

Zookeepers Get Creative In Treating Elephant With Chronic Arthritis

I see no advantage in stopping the breeding program at Chester. Strains of the EEHV are present in all elephants and only emerge at periods of vulnerability, such as the years following weaning, when the immune system is just starting to function on its own. This could happen anywhere--and has in the US--but saving the species requires that we persevere until new treatments work and a vaccine is developed. Some calves have eked through on Famcyclovir, but Indali's complete recovery via plasma is giving hope to elephant-lovers everywhere. Now is not the time give up. Yes, Chester will have a smaller matriarchal herd for a while, much like most of our herds in the US, but Indali IS hope for the future. Yes, we take steps back--like the discovery in Indianapolis that two African calves had the virus--but Indali is an important step forward in the fight against this lethal disease.

 

SLOTZ did state that Anjan would be Thai's final calf and even though as you've stated, she still is in prime breeding age I'm sure Chester would put her health first so if that means breeding retirement then that sounds the best thing.

I would love for Thai to carry on breeding and to have at least another 2 surviving daughters to adulthood would be the happiest ending to her breeding career and after seeing most of her calves and grandchildren not survive i think we would all love to see this if dreams came true.

However if she never has another calf and live her life out in peace then I would be happy.

 

One additional thing to bare in mind with Thi is that her pregnancy with Anjan was 25 months - normal gestation is between 18 and 22 months. I don't know how much of a concern this would be but if nothing else it will have added to the strain on her body.

 

Once she delivered safely I forgot about this. Does Au Bang share the exhibit? Is there any way there could have been a breeding no one witnessed? Being so overdue usually results in either a calf that has died in utero or a miscalculation in conception. Three months is WAY outside a normal window of lateness.

 

Aung Bo is the breeding male at Chester.

 

He does spend time both with and apart from the herd, just going off my visits he is separated when they are brought inside, I think this is because of the layout of the house.

 

I also wonder if Sundara is pregnant again. Indali would have another sibling. Since she will be three years old, Sundara could be pregnant again.
I did not know that Thi Ha Way had arthritis and it is a pity that he can no longer have other offspring. For her, however, this is only good. You should live calmly until death.
Does 53-year-old Maya live with a group? There's little talk about her.

 

Thi Ha Way's pregnancy was announced last year, so they announce it, but I don't know how long ahead.