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ZSL Whipsnade Zoo update on whipsnade asian elephants

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by orang09, 23 Dec 2007.

  1. Yassa

    Yassa Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Thanks for the info!

    Given that Aziza comes from London, I guess she`s living together with Mya, while Kaylee could be together with Lucha, who has been with her in Whipsnade since many years. It`s sad that the 2 mothers don`t come along with each other and that the calves can`t be together, but unfortunately it`s a common problem that introducing adult female elephants doesn`t work out in long term.
     
  2. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Yassa- actually I have a feeling the keepers told me it was not what you'd expect- each 'pair' of friends was actually one ex London and one Whipsnade female. I'm not sure on this though....

    I do know that the Tywcross female was with the Aziza 'group' though..

    Maybe someone else can confirm the above?
     
  3. orang09

    orang09 Well-Known Member

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    I thought it was differnt

    azizah , euan , new born , kaylee , leelee

    mya , Karishma and lucha rotate once at a time with the adult and babie groups

    but now with the new born it could be all change - whipsnade are hoping to breed from karishma and lucha soon
     
  4. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    okay, you're saying they rotate them more than I thought. I have NEVER seen them in the indoor area though since they've been breeding, so I don't know in what combinations they are kept then. On my last visit Karishma was in the Aziza 'group' while I didn't see the female calf at all as Kaylee and her companion female were in a paddock which is virtually out of sight for the public- it is in a field behind the bull's sand paddock, and screened by a hedge and trees....

    How are they going to get Lucha to breed? Does that mean they think Mya is a non-breeder?
     
  5. MARK

    MARK Well-Known Member

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    Are the two adult females which have not bred to date still a prospect for breeding?
     
  6. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Well Mark, I think not but maybe Orange09 knows some more on this....
     
  7. Yassa

    Yassa Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Mya should be too old for a first calf now and isn`t Lucha still carrying the body of her calf who died in utero in 2002? Then I can`t see how she could get pregnant again. But maybe she expelled the fetus, then a new pregnancy should be possible.
     
  8. taun

    taun Well-Known Member

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    Surely they would of made attempts to get the body out? :confused:
     
  9. Yassa

    Yassa Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I am sure they tried, but I have no idea if they were sucessful. I hope one of our members here knows more! Same for the social problems between the female elephants - seems to be pretty complicated.
     
  10. Pertinax

    Pertinax Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I knew nothing about Lucha still being 'pregnant'- the calf must be mummified or -as said above- she would have died years ago? It doesn't sound like she is a good prospect for breeding in this condition..

    What SHOULD happen is these two non-breeding females be exchanged for the four still at Twycross, so Twycross just exhibits non-breeders (I wish) but I accept that they have bonds with the other females at Whipsnade so they will probably never leave...
     
  11. CZJimmy

    CZJimmy Well-Known Member

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    I hadn't seen it reported until it was posted on youtube, but Whipsnade have had a White Rhino calf born last month...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 6 Jul 2017