Little elephant Qinisa is one cute girl!
You can stop calling her baby girl or not! But if you want to call the Safari Park’s female African elephant calf, who was born on August 28, with her official name, here it is: Qinisa, a Siswati word that means to act with energy, act determinedly, fulfill one’s word, or speak the truth. The name is pronounced (!) EEN-EE-seh (! is a tongue pop instead of a q sound).
Her name is very fitting, as Qinisa has been determined (successfully, I might add!) to develop fastest of the 12 calves born to the herd of African elephants at the Safari Park. At only one-week-old she was sucking water into her trunk and using it to pick up objects like sticks. I watched Qinisa do that today, and she sure seemed like a pro! This dexterity has not been seen at such a young age, according to Curtis Lehman, San Diego Zoo Safari Park animal care manager. This skill had been documented after a couple of weeks of age among the other calves.
She has mastered her nursing technique!
Qinisa seems to be spending the least amount of time nursing compared to the others, but she obviously seems to be getting more than enough milk from her mother, Swazi! Curtis thinks she may have also mastered how to nurse quickly, since she is averaging a weight gain of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) per day. The calf has gained 40 pounds (18 kilograms) in her first 21 days of life. She’s growing much too quickly for my personal taste, but just right for normal calf development.
The Elephant Team is still documenting Qinisa’s developments. They were out today with clipboard in hand taking notes every time she nursed. Beside her quick learning curve, they also observe how other elephants interact with her. The other elephants interact with Qinisa whenever Swazi allows it. Big brother Mac is playing nice; then again, he’d better, or Mom would have a word or two with him. Apparently, the adult females only interact occasionally, since they know to keep their distance from a protective Swazi, the herd’s matriarch.
But our two young female baby-sitters, 6-year-old Khosi and 5-year-old Kami, seem to have the most access to the calf and continue to compete for baby-sitting rights. Kami and Emanti get to hang out with the trio of Swazi, Mac, and Qinisa overnight, so Kami has the upper hand to get more baby-sitting time. Kami was never far away from Qinisa while I watched this morning. She was so gentle with the calf, I couldn’t help but smile. Swazi seems to now be taking advantage of the two baby-sitters and wanders away from Qinisa when she naps, but not for long. If Qinisa wakes, Swazi comes back quickly.
Yadira Galindo is a senior public relations representative for San Diego Zoo Global.
Qinisa is an amazing little girl! I saw Curtis being videotaped earlier today so will be be a new video about Qinisa coming up? I would like to hear how her name is pronounced and if there might be a nickname for her. I guess we all knew that she is exceptional but it’s great to read about it and her incredible weight gain in just 3 weeks. Forty pounds! Wow!
Swazi seems to really appreciate having such wonderful babysitters and does take advantage of having them around to be able to wander a little bit away from Qinisa. I’m pretty sure that she always know where her little girl is.
Moderator’s note: We’ll have the video posted on Wednesday.
That little baby girl elephant amazes me. She just tries to do everything the ‘big’ girls do..Today she drank from the pond, side by side with her Mommy and friends..I just chuckled at how she brought the water up with her tiny trunk and into her mouth.She seems so small and at about 6 wks old she is just what her name says; determined and very smart..Gotta luv her..Thanks
Qinisa very cute! I love the picture of Qinisa sucking on her trunk, does she still do that much? The girls really stick together lucky for Swazi!
Qinisa is a great name for this little ellie girl! During those days when I have seen her and Swazi on the elliecam, she was a very determined little girl when she’s nursing, getting into and out of the water mud hole, and other things. I can’t do the tongue pop thing with her name, so I’ll just go on ahead and use the Q when I pronounce her name. Hope you all don’t mind! Tried to see if she was on the elliecam tonite (my time) to see if Swazi and Qinisa were on it, but didn’t see them. Just a few of the other ellies in the yard. Will get back on the cam tomorrow to catch Swazi and Qinisa on there.
I’m a happy camper because I am watching 3 babies grow up on cams–2 panda cubs and one ellie calf! Gonna be alot of fun watching all 3 of them grow and develop over the next several months!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Congratulations to you ALL–She is so precocious and adventuresome and of course adorable!! I am sure she will keep Kami and Khosi and of course Swazi on their pachyderm toes!!
Blessed Be–judy jo
What a classy name for the little princess. She is adorable.
The perfect name for her.
Who came up with her name?
Yadira responds: Qinisa was named in honor of a San Diego Zoo Global supporter.
That name is sooooo appropriate for her name. She has been into alot of things in her short 3 weeks of life. Water isn’t the only thing she has ingested (baby elle’s favorite food, poo). I love watching the older girls argue over her. Kami seems to push herself back at Khosi a little harder every day. It is also nice to see Kami and Emanti fitting in with that family as well. Swazi doesn’t seem to mind them very much. She was really protective when Mac was that age. No one was able to be around him.
Welcome sweet Qinisa to the family.
Before I close I must wish Kami girl a very Happy Birthday (9-19) and a big thank you to her for helping take care of Qinisa (Neepo too).
Happy birthday Phakamile!
She is precious! I hope she gets a nickname. I’ve heard clicking languages but not sure I can imitate them.
I absolutely love her! I was thinking today about how she goes full speed ahead and enjoys everything around her. I saw her yesterday rolling in the mudhole— so cute!
Thanks for letting us know the name so quickly.
Thank you Yadira for your informative comments. A nice surprise that Qinisa has been named already. Also you have confirmed what cam viewers have observed from day 1…. that she is one very special little lady.
Love the name! It is so perfectly fitting for her. She has amazed all of us who have been watching via cam and visits. Thank you for this wonderful write up. Saw you filming today and am hoping a video is coming online with Curtis discussing this cutie that captivates all of us so much.
I love Qinisa’s name; and she’s so cute. Love watching her on the cam. Also exciting to hear about the latest on how she is growing. Thanks for sharing and keep us posted.
Very fitting name. I can just picture all the keepers walking around practicing the tongue pop. Here is a little demo from an expert that might help:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mwh9z58iAU
Thanks for the link to Miriam Makeba’s music and lesson!
Also, anyone know if the Q in Xhosa the same as the Q in SiSwati?
Wow. I can’t do it! Will have to use a nickname!
thanks for the clip. that was a fun intro. I used to listen to Miriam Makeba quite a lot (a number of years ago).
I always say there is nothing sweeter than a little baby elle. But this little girl was quick to steal my heart. She looks as though she was smiling since birth!
What a wonderful name! I finally got to see little Qinisa on the elephant cam yesterday. She and Swazi were hanging out in a shady spot and Qinisa was taking it one step further by lying underneath Swazi. It looked like she’s still a bit unsettled on her feet as she appeared to sway while standing up and not real sure where to put her feet. I also saw either Khosi or Kami come over and stand nearby. Then the keepers opened up one of the other yards and everyone went running for a tasty snack.
I was thrilled to read about the newest baby being named. Qinisa!
I was amazed at how she was able to pick up a branch/stick. I watched her do it on the live web cam. By the way….THANK YOU FOR THE LIVE WEB CAM!!!
It looks as though the San Diego Safari Park has found the secret to having a very happy herd of elephants. Great Job everyone!!! And thanks so much for all you do there.
From: Southern New Hampshire
Not only is Qinisa a fast developer, her naming is the fastest of the calves! Good work.
Great update. Love the name and it’s meaning, but a bit hard to pronounce!!! Have the keepers come up with a nickname??
Thanks for the blog. A great name for a great lttle girl. for now I am calling her “Kini.”
Happy fifth birthday, sweet Kami! You are a wonderful babysitter for little Qinisa. I hope you have a party with yummy treats today.
I don’t see myself making a tongue popping sound so I am just going to call her Queenie which would seem to fit her personality too. What a little charmer. I can’t wait to see her playing with Neepo and going in the pool. She seems to have enough energy for 2 calves.
PS…I meant to say also how much I enjoyed the music in the video..it was kind of like watching a documentary from Africa. Very appropriate.
Queenie sounds just right for her nickname and her position as Swazi’s daughter.
What has struck me about Qinisa is that she appears not to sleep. I know she does because I’ve seen her flop on the ground, but she pops up just as quick most times. They are micronaps. She must be a lark and not an owl.
Considering adult ellies only sleep about 4 hours per day, Qinisa must be doing well with her daytime power naps and what she must get at night when in the smaller yard away from most of the others.
“Qinisa, a Siswati word that means to act with energy, act determinedly, fulfill one’s word, or speak the truth. The name is pronounced (!) EEN-EE-seh (! is a tongue pop instead of a q sound).”
Cool name! Now please post a video or audio file with someone saying “Qinisa” out loud so that we can learn how to pronounce that tongue pop!
Happy Birthday Kami!
I think Qinisa may be a bit hard for the keepers not to mention confusing for the her too. Though I’ve read ellies make pop sounds on their own when communicating with each other.
Perhaps fo a nickname she could be called Esa using a variation of the last 2 sounds of her name..(ee seh)
Great video of Qinisa. Such a little cutie she is running all over the yards keeping up with mom. Wish they’d stay this age longer because they’re so much fun to watch.
Happy Birthday Kami! I hope she got some special treats today! I hate working on birthdays!!! lol Perfect name for such a perect little girl!
I would also like to say that the ellie keepers have to be the hardest working crew at the park! I mean, who has to lug more feed or scoop more poop than they do! The care and affection that they have for their charges is very evident in every thing they do! Your fans truly appreciate you and all that you do for these phenomenal animals!
I may call her baby Qinisa girl. I can’t exactly imagine how to pronounce her name. she is just precious. thanks for confirming that she is a fast learner.
Hmmmm. a wasp, bee, or other insect infestation in the inner compound? Appeared as if two workers with protective face covering and gloves were spraying a log feature? Although a keeper was standing with them wearing no protection at all. Wonder if it was Curtis just being sure that the job was done properly?
You are correct. There was a small group of bees gathering at the log. To prevent a beehive from forming and injuring the calf, the log was sprayed so the bees would not make a home there.
How about just Nisa for short? That’s what I’ve been calling her — can’t do the “pop” thing at all…
Yep, she’s just precious and smart as can be — a real heart stealer…
yes, Nisa sounds like a simpler nickname (and kind of sounds like Neepo).
Out of curiousity what nickname do the keepers have for her?
Donna: I have not heard what the keepers are calling her, but it is usually a shortened for of the full name. I personally like Nisa because it’s easy and I have a young friend with a similar name (her full name is Aneesa), so Nisa is easy for me to remember — and pronounce!!!
We don’t have a nickname for her yet.
Qinisa is already a fine name on its own, and with only 3 syllables it’s pretty short too. How about Qini for a shorter version?
Your colleagues who have not yet figured out how to go from the Q to the i can watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxLK0XykpVk (it’s how I learned!)
I don’t know how many different nicknames an elephant can remember and respond to, but I hope Qinisa grows up knowing her rightful Q!
Great cam work of Luti doing his morning wake up stretches in the mud this morning. He is so sweet, loved it!
The part I enjoyed the most was when Qinisa walked into the mud puddle and started sampling the water. She sure seemed at home turning round and round and sitting down!
Actually, after watching the video link provided by Pat C, it is pretty easy for me to do the click sound. I was trying to hard. It seems mine is a gentle pulling back of the tip of the tongue and going right into the EEN NE seh. Try it, not hard! Fun name for a fun baby. Wonder if I can do it again tomorrow, right now I have the knack. Or, ! Knack. : )
This is really kind of random, but I’ve been watching recently and I am highly interested in the training. But anyways.. anybody have the link to the youtube video of Mabu and Lungile at the Reid Park Zoo where Curtis (? i think) is just talking and not really anyone else.. or just that video?? I watched one where it was just the head keeper talking alot…
Tracie: Don’t know if this is the video you mean, but this is one where Curtis talked a lot — it was shot shortly after the ellies arrived over in Reid Park Zoo.
Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmTZHGjNxdo I really enjoyed it. Curtis is amazing in dealing with these elephants! You can sense his concern for their welfare.
thanks.. that is the one i was thinking about..
Watched the vid about Qinisa, and she is a cutie! She’s still sucking that little trunk in her mouth just like human toddlers do with their thumbs in their mouths! She’s moving around better, getting very curious about things around her, able to reach her mom for milk, and I think she has done a little bit of growing in the last couple of weeks. Before long, Qinisa will be able to fight off her bigger brother and bigger boy cousins when she’s a little bit bigger! Take good care of her, Swazi!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Gosh….. although the cam was in the reset view throughout the entire process, it appeared as if just two female keepers were handling the huge task of cleaning and preparing the East yard by themselves this morning ? If that was the case, I am sure they both received a loud appreciative trumpeting ovation from the entire ellie herd ! Well done !
the first photo on this blog is really nice. Qinisa baby looks so happy.
in the morning, I like watching one elephant take hay off another elephant’s back for breakfast. otherwise, when one elephant is lying down I like to wager whether Neepo will climb on top of him/her. but somehow I haven’t been seeing Neepo do this lately. maybe he is growing into his name. he looks like he’s growing healthy.
I was thinking that since Qinisa baby is so precocious, wouldn’t it be funny if she started to climb on Neepo while he is lying down. that would sure give him a surprise.
Been so enjoying the elliecam for past three months. They are a crazy fun bunch of elephants. Don’t know them all by name yet but get a kick out of all the rough-housing the younger ones do. Yesterday was histerical with one climbing on another and chewing on his ear. So much fun. I do have a question….why has the pool level been so low lately?
Moderator’s note: For the safety of the newest calf.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxLK0XykpVk has nothing to do with elephants, but it an infomercial for Qinisa Construction in South Africa – and the narrator pronounces the tongue pop! At 1:08 you can see one of the execs (and watch his mouth as he says Qinisa, to better understand how he says it).
Thanks Mark. I have re-run this over and over and still can’t manage to say her name properly
)
Quitie Tootie is what I call her when I see her cause she really is that!
interesting. I feel like I can make the tongue pop and also say “inisa” but I don’t understand how native speakers can transition b/t those very different sounds so smoothly.
Random qustion for the team…. I know here at the Indianapolis Zoo they give the ellie’s a bath (using Mineral Oil or some common oil that sounds weird to use on a ellie).. but do these guys get baths or since they have the pool no???
Moderator’s note: The keepers spray water on them if they get especially dirty, but they don’t use soaps or oils.
Also observations from bright and early this AM (9 AM EST)… Little Qinisa tried to climb out of the yard through the bars to get to Khosi, Umgyani (i know those two cause of khosi’s tusks and Umgyani’s tusks) there were 3 others there are the gate as well.. I’m going with Kami (similar in size to Khosi), Ingadze, Emati, and I think Neepo.. It was super cute to watch them interacting. Swazi was touching the others with their trunks..
the cam for the ellies and pandas seem to be having problems this morning.. they are freezing up off and on
Swazi is looking so good these days! She seems to be in great shape after giving birth. Dula, though, is she getting a bit rotund even for an elephant? Do elephants have trouble with diabetes, heart disease, and obesity like humans, dogs, cats, etc do? If so, how does one regulate the diet of a member of a herd? And, for all I know, maybe Dula is not at all over weight, but still the questions interest me as to whether elephants get diabetes, etc.
Congratulation with new Girl Calf. love to follow every evening, a couple of hours.
but sometimes The Web cam stand of the same place, for a long time.
we are sitting here- please – go turn -where all The elefants are.
Think Elefants love The Zoo keepers, they are running after them, Very fun.
Oktober of 4- since we wrote,< the web cam is became better, wonderfull. Now in a big screen- and the Cam are following mush better, The Elefants
We are a lot in Denmark, looking in your Herd. Thousands thank you.
If i was miliader,? i would doner , so be able to– hear all the sounds<3
Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy 1st Birthday dear Nee-Po. Happy Birthday to you! This is your special day today little man. Hope it is full of presents and fun for you.
Happy 1st birthday to Neepo.. hope he enjoys his special day with treats
Neepo’s birthday!! He is looking so grown up lately. What is his weight today! Has he played at all with Qinisa? Wow, I remember when he was so tiny and his early swims with just the tip of his tiny trunk above water, submarine style. Gotta love him!! He is so cheerful and sprited! Happy birthday Neepo!
Check out http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2012/08/30/welcome-little-girl/#comments !!!
Michelle from Virginia
Posted September 5, 2012 at 2:50 PM
That little Neepo is full of beans. He was trying to play with the little girl in the mud when Swazi left. Kami and Khosi came to the rescue of Neepo when Swazi turned around and came back. Khosi sure has her day full with that little brother. Looks like the little girl is gonna be just as full of beans as Neepo. So much fun to watch this hurd. Thanks!
Poppy
Posted September 5, 2012 at 4:51 PM
Neepo was very gentle with the little girl and just wanted to touch her. He is probably fascinated with another baby elephant, someone smaller than he is. When Swazi came back to fetch her baby, Neepo was helping to push her up the slippery slope which was so sweet of him…
Last week he weighed 930 lbs. He would probably love to roughhouse w/Qinisa but he has to be respectful of Swazi’s whereabouts.
So he can gentlehouse with Qinisa instead of roughhousing with her?
Whoa! Watching on the cam we forget how huge even the littlest ones are….little Neepo almost a half ton!
happy bday Neepo.
So cute how Qinisa enjoys rolling in the hay. Too bad for mom Swazi that it is usually in the pile from which she is trying to eat.
Best wishes for a Happy 1st Birthday Neepo !!! I hope you have a party and get a lot of treats !
Happy Birthday Neepster! I hope he had a special morning!
Happy birthday Inhlonipho!
Happy Birthday Neepo
Happy Birthday, Neepo! Swazi’s baby Mac was the Park’s heaviest baby at 268 pounds. How many of you remember that Neepo was the second heaviest, tipping the scales at 250 pounds? With Khosi and Kami also September birthdays, that makes September the busiest month for birthdays! With all elephants gaining 45 to 50 pounds per month, both young and old alike, that would make Neepo about 800 pounds now. How does that compare with your numbers, Keepers?
Children say “you’re not the boss of me” when someone other than their parent tries to interfere with what they want to do. I think Qinisa just did a very effective job of saying that to Khosi when Khosi tried to get her to go find her mother, and Qinisa won! And, then Khosi tried to move her away from Neepo, but Qinisa held her ground again and she loved having a few moments with Neepo and the small branch he was enjoying. Too cute!
Happy Birthday, Neepo!
I love Qinisa! She’s so pretty & spunky. Maybe she’ll be matriarch like her mom. Didn’t Neepo turn 1 yesterday?
Moderator’s note: He did indeed!
Qinisa should take the reins as matriarch when she is old enough as that’s the way it works in the wild. The only difference with this herd is they aren’t only an one family unit. But since Swazi assumed the role as head of the herd when they arrived at the park I would expect unless challenged the posiiton would go to her daughter. Guess time will tell
Happy belated birthday Neepo! You are still my favorite little guy!
Do they get something special for their birthdays since there are so many in September?
I would really love to see this special treat videos.. That would be awesome.. Though selfish cause I know that busy-ness is always happening
I read somewhere that baby elephants are born with “milk tusks” and lose them around one year of age and that their regular tusks don’t start growing in until about two years of age. Did your babies have them? Do you collect up the baby tusks?
The Elephant Team replies: They have them and lose them and we’ve never found them.
I have watched 12 babies that have been born here at the Park. I am positive there is no tusk showing at 1 year of age. Neepo is just over 1 and I have seen no evidence of tusks, yet. Luti, Mac, and Emanti, who became 2 years old between February and May of 2012, all have tusks.Tusks continue to grow throughout the lifetime of the elephant (African). This is most noticeable on Khosi who used to spend so much time rubbing her tusks on logs that they wore thin and had to be reinforced and you can notice that they have grown almost as long since the repair as they had before the repair. Hope this helps. Ingadze, who is now 3, definitely has tusks. He wanders around a lot on his own so is not so easy to spot.
Don.,. I have found that Ingazde has the longest tusks of all the younger boys, and when he is with the others he’s the tallest which makes it somewhat easier to spot him.
“The Elephant Team replies: They have them and lose them and we’ve never found them.”
Tooth Fairy got ‘em!
So enjoyed the Elephant Cam today around 11am SDZ time…Swazi and her baby and a fresh pile of hay/grass. Is Qinisa’s behaviour of loving to roll around in the feed a cute personality trait for her or do all baby elephants enjoy doing that? It sure must feel good to her!!
12 baby elephants have all enjoyed doing this very same activity. They especially like to cover up the hay Mom is trying to eat. Qinisa is simply doing what 11 others have done before her!
Thanks for the info, Don!
Could Ndula be pregnant? She seems so much larger in the belly area than the other females her age.
I have been watching the elephants since just before the birth of Qinisa (because of a blog comment on the giant panda page) and can mostly tell them apart until all three 2-year-olds are together!
Thank you for all the cam coverage that has peeked my interest in learning more about elephants from a variety of sources. I hope to visit and see them one day if I ever travel to San Diego.
I’ve thought she was pregnant for a while now, even when I found out Swazi was. Or maybe she’s gained some weight. I guess time will tell, but another baby would be fun!!
I think Dula has just gained weight, since she was actively breeding with Msholo not that long ago, which would mean she was in estrus and that wouldn’t being happening if she was already pregnant.
Thanks for the confirmation in observations, Maria. Donna’s answer makes sense but I wasn’t sure if I saw him breeding with Khosi, Dula and/or Gani.
Do you have a method for telling the three 2-year-olds apart on the cam?
It’s hard to tell the 3 boys apart when they are alone and not much better when they are together either other than Emanti is a bit smaller in height then Luti and Mac.
I’m still trying to get their tails sort out in hopes of having that as a way to tell who’s who. As well as tusk length.
Don can you help us with this since you observe them a lot
I came to assume Ndula is just more full-bellied, since Swazi was announced pregnant when Ndula actually looked bigger. maybe Donna is right and Ndula has gained weight.
for me Luti looks very full-bellied (among the calves his age). Musi looks like he is nearly as tall as Ndula but he looks like the skinniest sub-adult (adultish) elephant. I wonder if Luti will have a similar growth spurt and lose his baby fat or if he just eats very well.
For those who are missing the other ellies who are now at Reid Park Zoo, they will have a link on their web site to an ellie cam to allow viewing of the ellies by the end of October.
Good news about the new soon-to-be ellie cam at Reid Park Zoo. It will be good to see Mabu and the gang live again.
Ooh really? Please keep us posted! I miss watching Sundzu and Mabu!
According to Reid Park’s page on Google, the new cam should be up and running by Oct. 31st.
oh yay! I will be excited to see Lungile again.
Is that Msholo I’m watching up on the side of the exhibit stripping leaves from the tree??? I watch a lot, but that is a first! How clever!
Karen.. he’s done that before to other trees along the boundary of that yard. It looks like he’s broken the branch but can’t quite get it to come off completely yet.
would you guys ever do a video of the training you do with these guys? I’m really interested and think it would be cool
When Swazi stopped for a drink of water from the pool, Qinisa actually stepped into the water with all 4 feet. It wasn’t long but it was the first time I have actually seen her in the water! Happened about 11:50 a.m.
I also saw Qinisa step into the water on the lower step ! And even though the pool level was low, it still appeared to be deep enough for her to go under had she ventured further into the water. Also I tend to think that Swazi’s apparent lack of concern about it, was that she trusted Qinisa judgement.
interesting. I watched Swazi and Qinisa go down to drink but then stepped away. when I came back they were up at the gate between the 2 enclosures. I was thinking Qinisa has a bit of her legs and a lot of her trunk wet. she must be a brave and adventurous girl.
Watching today.. Qinisa was having a blast in the mud pit.. rolling around splashing.. all while 3 others rolled and splashed… it was great..
Thank you! Thank you! Our elle family convenience package! The new camera features are wonderful for us to be able to take pictures and widen screen at a click. You guys are great!
Awww bummer. The picture taker has been removed.
Moderator’s note: Just temporarily! It wasn’t working as well as we hoped, so we took it down while the “bugs” are worked out.
When it comes back up, could someone explain how it works? I tried it with the Panda cam and got a bit confused as to what was being requested.
Moderator’s note: It’s a postcard feature, so you can send a “postcard” of what you’re seeing on the Cam to a friend or to yourself. We just ask for your email and the email you want the postcard sent to. Hope this helps!
N’mind. I tried the Panda one again and think I got it to work.
Thank you for the new options on my computer screen. My staff is jealous and stop by my desk often to check out the ellies. I have also “turned on” my UPS driver and my office depot driver to your website. They never knew it existed.
Qinisa is growing up so fast. She has an independent spirit about her. She loves the mud. Can’t wait till she gets in the pool with the other little ones.
Thanks again for the new options and thank you to all the volunteers who man the camera. You give those of us who work great pictures during our hectic day to just chill out and check out the view. You spoil us.
Have a great day everyone.
I believe previously that baby watches has gone on for 5 weeks, If that’s true then Qinisa’s should be near the end.
Will she and Swazi continue to be separated during the night for awhile still or will they be allowed to remain with the rest of the herd?
Moderator’s note: Swazi and her two calves are back out with the rest of the herd at night now.
Great viewing with the new cam improvements! Many thanks!!
Have you tried the new expanded view feature on the elephant cam? In the upper right hand corner there is a pause symbol and to the right an expanded view symbol. Click on the expanded view symbol and you see the picture expanded to fill the entire screen. It’s fabulous when closeups are being shown, especially when Qinisa fills the screen.
Do the boys sleep in a big pile like they play or do they sleep with their mom’s? They are so funny to watch in the mud pit! Love the new expand-a-cam great job.
Qinisa looks like she still sucks on her trunk have the keepers noticed? Thank you all for the work you do. Will be out soon when it cools down a bit more.
I noticed that Neepo’s and Qinisa’s weight has been updated. Will the others have updates on their weights soon too?
Also noticed photos being taken this afternoon. Will these be for description page or something else? Since most of the youngsters pictures could use some updating.
Thank you for the new features with the cam views. They are wonderful.
Moderator’s note: The photos taken today will be used to update our Cam page bios as well as a future ZOONOOZ article on the herd. Weights are updated as I learn about them.
Thank you for all of the descriptive updates. I eagerly await the posting of the new pictures to help us keep up with their changes and tell them apart.
Finally, a huge thank you for the new full-screen view! Some camera work makes it seem as if they are here with me in St. Louis–amazing!
Because I sometimes find myself attempting to change the viewing image from my mouse pad, I wonder when technological advances will allow us to manage the camera views from our keyboards when the volunteers are not available…
Quinisa seems to be getting braver – walking away from mom. I love how she throws herself on the grass and rolls around. Why do we humans adore babies so much? Baby humans, animals, birds … all so appealing. Thanks for letting us peep into their lives at the zoo.
Thursday morning when the gates were opened to come back from the newer area Quinisa took off way ahead of her mother and passed thru the gates all by herself way ahead of Swazi. In elephant IQ that girl is way at the top!!
I don’t think that Princess Qinisa is going to wait very many years to inherit herd matriarch status from Swazi. In fact, the little dynamo appears that she may even rise to the throne even before her 1st birthday !
Is one of the smaller elephants limping?
I am noticing Msholo and Umgani being so caring to one another, any news on breeding? It is nice to have Musi move away from Umgani, and it seems that Msholo is a great help in sending him on his way by just showing up at her side.
No news to share yet about their pairing.
How soon after breeding occurs is possible to tell if there is a pregnancy?
It takes a very long time. We have tests that look at hormones, and we can try to do an ultrasound. Either way it’s a while before we get results.
Woo-hoo! I am thrilled to hear that the postcard feature will be on this ellie cam now. What a fantastic feature it is. Thanks to whoever moved ahead with the plan to do that. Ellie cam fans are very grateful!!!
How cute! Qinisa and Neepo are playing together and that little girl is tough enough to trunk wrestle with him. Swazi doesn’t seem concerned but Khosi is trying to discipline her little brother and to protect Qinisa from him, but Qinisa wants to pay rough with him. Neepo rolled down the hill and then Qinisa followed.
Such fun to watch princess Qinisa trying to push around her brother. Poor Kami, she needs to ask for a raise in babysitting fees!
Super huge thank you to cam person tonight. The elle’s were sure full of beans. We got a little of everything tonight. I thought Neepo and Qinisa playing was great until Khosi and Kami were playing with the tire. Looked like a cross between football and soccer. Hilarious! Glad to see the full moon fun hits the elle bunch too.
Wow, Khosi and Kami have their trunks full this eveing with Qinisa. She’s a wild child.
I don’t think I’ve enjoyed watching baby ellies as much as I have the Little Princess. She is a firecracker. Kami and Khosi should get paid double time for trying to keep that ball of energy reigned in. Saturday afternoon she was acting like a drunken sailor, 2 steps, fall down, stagger and fall down. It was hilarious to watch and there were 5 ellies around her wondering what what going on. I wonder if her mother knows where she is half the time. She’s definitely a keeper!
You still have deer going in there! Cool!
Got a few more suggestions for whenever you have enough time:
Remember when the text below the Elephant Cam included notes about the deer and the balloon, to reassure new viewers? That was cool.
“When scheduled to be culled due to overpopulation, the herd was brought to San Diego on a truly “jumbo” plane in August 2003. A fellow herdmate from Africa followed in October 2009, by way of the Lowry Park Zoo in Florida.” might be confusing to new viewers who don’t already know that the herd on the plane was 11 elephants, 4 of whom lived at Lowry Park and 7 of whom lived at San Diego at first.
“…the mother of Khosi, Ingadze, and our newest baby, Inhlonipho…” needs an update.
“…He is the father of Khosi,Impunga, Phakamile, Ingadze, Lutsandvo, eMacembe, Emanti, Tsandzikle, and Inhlonipho…” needs an update too.
BTW, if you rub a towel on Qinisa and mail it to Reid Park with a note asking the elephant keepers there to let Mabhulane sniff it before they wash it, would Mabhulane recognize from the scent that it’s from
1) another elephant he hasn’t already met?
2) who is related to him?
3) who’s his child?
and would this make him happy (’cause he’s a papa to one more) or sad (’cause he can’t meet the baby)?
Moderator’s Note: Your comments and questions have been forwarded to the Elephant Team.
Thanks!
A moment ago Qinisa was nursing and another elephant (hard to see the tusks in the dimness, but probably Phakamile) was standing there right alongside Swazi watching Qinisa.
The sweetest camera shot ever. Little Qinisa was trying to nurse off of Khosi. Khosi put her leg out like a pro and let her suckle.
It doesn’t look like Moose has any tusk on one side. Did he break the remainder off? How did it happen?
Moose has one good tusk and one broken tusk and has had for some time. I believe it got broken off when he was sparring with Msholo
Why does little Qinisa try to nurse from Khosi? Could Khosi possibly have milk? It doesn’t seem very likely but they both seem to enjoy it. Qinisa even sucks her trunk afterwards. Maybe it’s just a sweet girl thing.
Good question!
From http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2010/06/30/three-elephant-munchkins/
“…Swazi’s baby, born in April, is already 405 pounds (184 kilograms). He’s very tall looking, long-legged like his mom. This little guy is very independent and loves to hang out with his dad, Mabu, and yes, he still “nurses” off of him…”
Like brother, like sister!
Also, from http://www.sandiegozoo.org/elephantcam/meet.html via http://blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2009/09/28/elephant-calf-talks-the-talk/
“Though extremely powerful, Mabhu is also a very gentle father. He is so good with the babies: one day an infant Kami attempted to nurse from him and he froze, with ears flared, waiting for mother Moya to come to his rescue!”
I believe that the comments that were excerpted from old blog articles, were simply meant to illustrate examples of strange attempted nursing behaviors by young calves rather than to incorrectly identify the current Tucson home location of .Mabu ?
Right you are!
Somebody is a little mixed up with their comment. Swazi is at San Diego with both her son, Mac, and daughter, Qinisa. Mabu is in Arizona. There was also a comment about Msholo being a father sometime and I assure you, it hasn’t been 22 months since Mabu went to Arizona and Mabu has sired all the offspring that have been born in San Diego, with the exception of Moose. Swazi’s son, Mac, is definitely NOT with his father, Mabu, in Arizona.
“Swazi’s son, Mac, is definitely NOT with his father, Mabu, in Arizona.”
Not now he isn’t! That quote is quoting part of a blog post from back when Mabhulane was still in San Diego with Swazi and Mac (who isn’t named in the quote because it’s from before he was given a name).
I’ve read of orphan elephants in Kenya that unrelated older female elephants (like 2 year olds) will encourage younger elephants to suckle from them. I think for the older female it’s practice for mothering behavior (I guess it’s a strong instinct). for the younger elephant it’s described as just to get emotional comfort and not milk. some of the very small elephants will just suck on an older elephant’s ears for comfort if allowed.
Has Kami injured her left front foot on the outer side next to her toe, appears to be missing some flesh there?
(though it could be just the way the cam makes it appear to look)
Moderator’s note: No injury that we’ve heard about.
Interesting! I just noticed that the ipad App runs a minute or so behind what is viewed on our HP. This means one can view on the computer and then p,an when to snap a photo with the mobile device. Wonder if this is always the case?
Thank you camera person. You have been doing such a great job in the evenings keeping up with the ellies. They really try to get out all their energy before bedtime (dark). So much fun to watch their activities.
I want to say that Qinisa seems like a mischievous elephant or playful at the very least. she was running back and forth between Swazi, Khosi, and the logs. she would try to use each as a scratching post and milk bar. she looks like a happy elephant.
I’m getting dizzy! The camera appears to be stuck going around in a circle at 9:00 am on October 10th!
Moderator’s note: Sorry about that!
It seems to be stable now.
Thank you so much for fixing the camera!
I was looking at the current weights and the weight Mac was at birth is just about what Queen Quini is right now at a little over a month old!
Mac holds the record for the heaviest weight at birth, 268 pounds. Next heaviest was Neepo at 250 pounds. Little Qinisa only weighed 205 pounds at birth, but she has been averaging a 2 pound a day weight gain so, given a little time, she will be catching up. She’s feisty enough to make up for being small!
Imagine how much less Qinisa would have weighed at birth if she was born on Swazi’s due date. Good thing she was born later!
Good job Kami! Keep that pesky deer away from Qinisa! : )
Hey, imagine if that was the same deer who startled Khosi 4 years ago!
http://adminblogarchives.sandiegozoo.org/blog/2008/10/06/sound-the-alarm/
Thank you for that link Mark! I loved reading it!
You’re welcome!
Was there any reason why Umngani clan and Msholo were separated in the west yard from the rest of the herd this afternoon ? Keepers remained there for a while afterward to observe them. Umngani kept looking over into the main yard appearing to be puzzled by it all too. Sorry, if I am being overly nosy.
I guess today was Qinisa’s first experience with rain. how did she do? I remember Neepo for a while was not fond of rain and tried to squeeze under Umngani even when he was a little too tall.
Yesterday during the rain, the herd was in the far large yard and Qinisa was running along when suddenly, whoosh, her legs went totally out from under her on the slick mud. She was up immediately, and then moved along at a slower pace. I think she learned much more quickly about rain and slipping than do our local freeway drivers!
oh my but yes, I could see that.
Sweetest view of the day was Qinisa playing with Neepo. He was so gentle and she loved having a playmate, with Swazi close by munching her evening hay.
So cute….. at least from what I have seen so far, it appears that NeePo has often become the official royal playmate for Qinisa. I never would have thought that considering Swazi’s past less-than-friendly behavior toward him.
Observed a cute interlude of Qinisa play fighting with a young male then running back to mom who chased the young’un away. But she started it!!! Too cute. Then she decided to have some dinner. She still seems too short to comfortably nurse – but she obviously makes do!
Neepo used to do that too, conveniently hide under Umngani. the other clever tactic Neepo had was using his butt-power. somehow it seemed as though he figured that his butt had more mass than his head so he would just back up into another calf to play-fight.
As I watch Qinisa sleep and suddenly wake up to follow Swazi in the yard, I wish the cam had sound so I could hear the communications that surely must be occurring between them.
Could your team write a blog on the elephant communications in the future? Also on my wish list would be a section on the elephant fact pages that includes examples of their typical vocalizations, similar to what one can find on the giant panda page…In your free time!
Moderator’s Note: These are great ideas! Your questions and requests have been forwarded to the Elephant Team.
What a great idea! They make so many signals, mostly in silence it seems, yet there is obvious communication there, like an extra sense not possessed by humans in such a full form. When we visit the Safari Park, we spend hours with just the elephants. It is typically silent. Could be a sound camera would only pick up man-made sounds most of the time. Our silent cam viewing is pretty much as it actually is there, yet the communication between the elephants is apparent, especially when one annoys another. Could it be that they make a sound heard among themselves but not by us, or are they more responding to the gestures they perceive? They are fascinating.
Further thinking on this, our family cat and dog are basically silent, and yet communicating to us very effectively without uttering a sound. Motion alone tells sends a signal and receives a response.
“like an extra sense not possessed by humans in such a full form. ”
Part of it is that elephant hearing doesn’t cover the same range as human hearing. It’s like the way dog hearing includes some high pitches that we can’t hear.
Infrasonic communication that elephants use is made up of different sounds that are so low, we humans can’t hear them. The sounds can also travel long distances by their sheer powerfulness to reach other elephants whether it be a male looking for a female in estrus or another herd.
Interesting! That does help explain some things we see on a daily basis. For example, yesterday Umgani was just outside the upper yard, where some of the young males were sparing. She had her back completely to them and seemed at complete peace with the world as she munched hay. Behind her, Neepo was being rapidly pushed backward by I think Ingadze. Umgani sensed this, turned, and immediately was by Neepo’s side. She knew! Eyes in the back of the head, or sounds that we do not hear?
Pat: I have to say that I’ve experienced the same thing when visiting Safari Park — not much “verbal” communication between the elephants. But one day when I was there shortly after Qinisa was born, Mac tried to horn in on some of Swazi’s food, and Swazi gave the most alarming trumpet noise that if almost freaked me out. I was pretty close and the sound was startling to say the least. However, little Mac got the point and left Mama’s treats alone after that.
So they can certainly communicate “verbally” when they need to!!!
in the meantime, researcher, Joyce Poole has a website with a database of elephant communications:
www (dot) elephantvoices.org/multimedia-resources/elephantvoices-calls-database-call-types.html
www (dot) elephantvoices.org/multimedia-resources/elephantvoices-calls-database-call-types/call-types-db-structure.html
-the content is dense but you can hear sound
Great websites; Thanks!
For the first time in the morning I was able to see the elephants that were in the corner by the giraffes really close up. Usually, when they are in that part of the yard, I can see the ellie’s down there but can’t really tell who they are partially because of the rock structure. I don’t remember seeing such good pictures so up close that far away. Umgani and family were all actually reaching their trunks over the stone wall trying to get at something…not sure what. A big “Thank You” to whomever is responsible. Love seeing the Princess playing with Nepo…he is being so good with her and she seems to like him, too. I think our precious little high-energy baby boy may have found his match in our little Princess!
This past weekend, I tuned in several times to see the poor camera person trying to keep up with our little ‘Queenie’. She is a stitch!!. And she never stands still. She reminds me of a rambunctious Lab Puppy. She seems to have no qualms whatsoever about moving out of Mom’s shadow and exploring the yard by herself. What a little stinker!!
It’s 2:23 SD time, and Qinisa has been lying down taking a nap, first under Swazi and then under Khosi. Also standing by protectively seems to be none other than Macembe. Is anyone watching who could tell me if this indeed the little prince?
Mac was with Mom when Qinisa was born and, from most of my observations, I believe he is the most likely one of that size to be around most of the time. Luti is most likely to be with Ndlula, and Kami and Emanti are usually together. Although Qinisa is really a Princess and is pretty much treated that way, I think Mac enjoys being close because some of the attention given to the Princess may mean extra goodies may come his way. I believe Kami is Swazi’s favorite as a mother’s helper, so Emanti could be around as well.
From my understanding being there 6 hours after Qinisa’s birth, the still-nursing Macembe horned in quite urgently at first to get his last swigs of milk in! By the time we got there, he was in the middle yard, separated from Swazi and Qinisa, who was working to reach Swazi’s nipples to nurse! The end to nursing must have been a rude awakening for him! At the National Zoo, our male calf Kandala was still seen nursing when he was 6!
Mac was there a lot on the 18th, and I did see her under him. I also saw her (seemingly) nibble his ear. She was also wrestling and playing with Neepo.
Or maybe it was first Ndula and then Swazi with Kami guarding at the side? My daughter is a budding elephant behavorist and keeper, so we’re watching all of this with great interest. It’s just a bit hard to tell who’s who when there aren’t a lot of elephants on-camera to enable size-comparison!
Wouldn’t it be nice if they could paint [non toxic] a large initial on all the elephants so we could tell them apart?
Or….this is even better. When you hover your mouse over an elephant, its name appears on the screen. Yeah..lets do that!! Web team, how bout it?
Moderator’s note: I love it!
I love your ideas for identification! It would make the kind of behavior study my daughter loves easier! We were actually at the Safari Park at Elephant Odyssey 6 hours after Qinisa was born–talk about luck! We’ve been saving for this trip for about 5 years, and we’re treated to this wonderful sight by the best possible luck!
Ive always read about the girls in a matriarchal herd watching over the babies, so I thought this would be rather unusual or special if a brother were taking on this duty. I’m impressed with him! And she really does terrorize all of the little boys!! Something tells me that she is going to climb to the top of the hierarchy on the express track!
Thanks for the help, everyone!
It’s 3:15 SD time on Friday. This is Kami standing over the napping baby, right?
At what age do they begin to sleep while standing? Qinisa is sleeping on the ground next to Swazi right now and Mac ( I think it is Mac) has been standing nearby for several minutes, barely moving, trunk down limp toward the ground and only an occasional small motion of an ear, no foot, body, or head movement. He appears to be asleep.
And no sooner than I post, and he is down on the ground on his side, hopefully sleeping.
I believe that was Kami, not Mac And now I see another large one sleeping on the ground. I didn’t see it go down so not sure which one it is this time. I sure was happy when Kami got up…
I admit I am a fairly new ellie cam watcher, but after a couple of months, today is the first day I have seen the large elephants do this. I was wondering if there was something in their treats today…
I did begin to wonder if it was Kami rather than Mac. I snapped a few shots and am still not sure, and I usually know. In any case, at what age do they start standing as their primary position for slumber?
Kami was born 9-17-2007 and Mac was not born until 4-12-2010, that’s 30 months difference in age. Even though Mac was the largest at birth (268 pounds), Kami would have a minimum weight advantage of about 1200 pounds (using only 40 pounds times 30 months). All elephants gain between 40 and 50 pounds per month during their lifetimes. Kami weighed 238 pounds at birth plus my estimated 1200 pounds since would place her at about 1438 current weight. If you check the stats on each of the elephants, I think you will find that I am probably a little low in my guess. I’m going to check now to satisfy my own curiosity!
Kami weighed 2666 pounds in June 2012. Subtracting her birth weight of 238 pounds leaves 2428 pounds. 9-17-2007 to June 2012 is 57 months. 2428 divided by 57 equals 42 pounds, Kami’s monthly average weight gain, and confirms my estimate of between 40 and 50 pounds average weight gain per month per elephant during their lifetimes.
Why is Swazi (DOB 1991) the dominant female of the herd if the other two females (DOB 1990) are older than her?
The adults in the herd were not born together but were instead rescued from different herds in Swaziland and are actually a blended herd. They established their own hierarchy after they were put together.
What tremendous fun it is to watch Qinisa and Neepo, the two littlest ones, and only ones without tusks, playing together!They seem to be thoroughly enjoying each others company as they push, shove, walk, lay down, touch each other, run, skid to a halt, turn around, and then go their separate ways when they are through. I enjoy watching them. Are there any other viewers that get that feel good feeling as they watch them playing?
Hi Don! First, my family and I have to thank you (and all the other volunteers) for the wonderful camera work! It’s funny, because every time we see the camera focusing and following little Nisa & Neepo (we affectionately call them N&N), we’ve been thinking it may be you on duty!
ABSOLUTELY! We too LOVE to watch them together! We feel like proud parents watching “our” adorable Neepo be such a good boy with Nisa! At first, we were afraid he may try to climb her and it looked like he may have contemplated it once or twice when he first met her but, since then and perhaps after a little talk with Umgani and Khosi, he’s been A+++ with the little princess. I wish we had the ability to hear them as they play. We imagine they must make the cutest squeaks and honks as they wrestle, roll around in the mud and cuddle.
Neepo and Nisa are such a joy and a delight to watch and whenever you’re able to capture and follow them, it really makes our day! We’re so happy they’ve become best buddies! We’re also relieved that Auntie Swazi can see how well behaved Neepo has been and hasn’t stopped their play sessions.
Tonight was one of the first times I saw Musi come in contact with Nisa! As it was getting dark, Neepo was escorting Nisa back to the enclosure and Musi followed behind. When Nisa paused before entering the open gate, Musi gently pushed her forward towards Neepo. Once she entered the enclosure, Musi followed Nisa and kept gently nudging her forward and touching her back. It was such a sweet gesture. I think Musi can’t get over how cute and tiny Nisa is!
Thanks again, Don!
Thanks for the suggestion of using Nisa as an abbreviation for Quinisa! Perhaps I will start using it myself.
So cool to read about Vus’Musi getting along with Qinisa! Great to know all kids of kids in the herd, boy and girl, big and little, look out for a newbie.
Don, watching Qinisa and Neepo become great friends has been so much fun. I have snapped countless photos of their actions on the cam. I have many where they are playing, ears flared and happy as can be. Some I love most were captured a week or two ago when they first started seeking one another out in the late afternoons. They are walking side by side as though joined at the hip, no air between them. They are a joy! Many thanks to the wonderful cam operators who them to us each and every day!
Don, Thank you so much for your informative comments and your great cam work. It’s so much fun to watch Neepo play with little Qinisa. He seems to understand that she’s still a baby and that he must be gentle with her even though she plays pretty roughly. She’s ready to tackle anyone and everything; and doesn’t seem to realize how tiny she is.
Yes, it is most enjoyable to observe the cute and often hilarious interactions between Qinisa and Neepo. Also interesting that it all occurs with Swazi’s approval. I think it’s a fortunate coincidence that Neepo is at an ‘optimal’ age for such a relationship with Qinisa. Had he been younger, I don’t believe that either Umngani nor Swazi would have allowed them such freedom to become friends and playmates so soon after her birth.
these are my notes from this afternoon’s play date. I at first mistook Qinisa for Neepo (play fighting by pushing a little trunk against the larger calf’s ear). finally I realized that Qinisa was the one pushing against Neepo’s ear (which he used to do a lot with the older calves). Qinisa looked like she wanted to lay down for a nap but perhaps her 6th sense told her this was not a good idea near Neepo. Qinisa went to lay down right next to Khosi (I think it was Khosi), who promptly shoved Neepo as he walked around her to get closer to Qinisa. later, Qinisa walked around a log, faced Neepo, and then climbed (forelegs) on the log getting a better vantage for pushing her trunk against Neepo’s head. boy, she is quite precocious. I laughed all through their play time b/c little princess seems every bit as naughty as Neepo used to be (except I haven’t seen her climb on Neepo, yet).
Is Umngani in estrus? Msholo has seemed to be very curious as of late, smelling her with his trunk, and she has seemed to be very frisky, running a lot. Just wondered if these could be signs!
Just sitting here waiting for the elephants to move to the adjoining yard and have their lunch. I also saw Msholo eat two pumpkins all by himself yesterday. So this leads to my question. Do the elephants get a late night feed to carry them over to the keepers arrival in the morning? Elephants are consumed with consuming so……
Moderator’s note: They get a big meal at night to tide them over until morning.
Aw, pumpkins! There’s a Pumpkin Stomp at the NZ one day a year, and even the gentlest touch can decimate that pumpkin! Did Msholo squash it first?
When we were at SP the day Qinisa was born, we had a “behind the scenes” tour with an excellent education guide named Peggy. We got to go into the elephant barn area, and before we even realized it, Msholo had silently come right up to the bars trying to meet my daughter!! And three days later when we were at the amphitheatre for the training session with Msholo, he looked up and immediately found my daughter in the crowd! He seems really neat!
I’ve noticed the moderator is online and I have just one more question. After visiting the Safari Park earlier this month I stopped in your gift shop to purchase postcards that had photos of elephants on them. I knew with my camera the largest creature on earth would be the size of a gnat, and your lovely postcards have wonderful professional pictures. The postcard with Umngani and baby on it. Which one of her calves is on the postcard with her? I could guess but I only would have a 33 1/3% chance to get it right. By the way your Safari Park and Behind the Scenes Tour are fantastic.
Moderator’s note: You have been personally contacted for more info.
It has been so much fun watching Nisa enticing the trainers to give her small branches this afternoon! She is doing everything she can to get their attention. Thank you for letting us watch this.
Qinisa was in rare form today. One second she was standing with Mom at the structure and the next second she was going lickity split, as fast as she could move until she got to the pool area, then she turned on a dime, and went lickity split back to Mom. It seemed today that she was actually spending more time away from Mom than with her. I know the logs are not huge in the West enclosure where she was, but she was appearing to jump to the top, lay there a moment, and then slide down on her front legs. As soon as she got over one she would to around the structure to another one and repeat her maneuver. By the time she was going over the third hurdle there seemed to be no hesitation as she mastered this challenge. Perhaps I write too much but she is such a joy to watch. I like to watch the keepers as they try to get her to interact with them. I like the way Mom sort of says, “If you are going to give a treat to Nisa, how about something for me, too.”
A huge thanks to all the Keepers and staff at the Park for all their hard work in keeping the area all cleaned up and shiny for all the visitors and viewers. And a special thanks for the new enlarged view of the area that fills the monitor screen.
I was watching Nisa yesterday with one of the staff in the gated area. Her and the staff member were playing “I’m gonna get you” at the back fence by the wall. It was so funny watching them run back and forth and jumping at each other. Nisa sure is one neat baby. Her and Po are quite the riot together too. Thanks Don for the camera action with this busy baby. She keeps you on the go.
Neepo and Nisa provided a beautiful ending to my 3 hour shift by playing with each other while laying in the dirt. As they lay on their sides, they pushed themselves around in circles and made at least two circles each in this same way. Both Swazi and Umngani were looking on and they seemed pleased with the kids playtime. Things started to get a little out of hand when ALL the kids decided to join in the dirt maneuvers and then it seemed as if the adults came along to referee the melee. The crowd then seemed to dissipate and left the two youngsters with another opportunity to make more circles and have a little friendly push and shove session.
Don, you never write “too much.” All of your posts are wonderful because you seem to know so much about all the elephants. For those of us who don’t get to see all the fun with Neepo and Nisa, it’s great to read about it. Thanks to you and all the volunteer cam operators who let us see so much action among the herd. Keep on reporting all you see please.
Don, those moments of the kids in the dirt were priceless!! Such a delight to watch the interaction between Neepo and Nisa…and then all the fuss made by the “grown-ups”! And yet the kids were unfazed….so special!!
Thanks Don. I think we all appreciate your posts because other than a keeper, you seem to be able to give accurate descriptions of which elephant is which and what they are doing or have done. I absolutely love watching little “queenie” as I call her. She is just sooooo rambunctious and cute. Watching her makes me very happy. Thanks again.
For those who are interested in watching the other part of the herd that went to Reid Park Zoo the webcam is now operational.. starting at 9:30 a.m for about 2-4 hrs while the volunteers are learning how to operate it.
http://www.tucsonzoo.org/elephant-cams/
Thanks, Donna, for letting us know. I just went over there but none of the herd is in view. It is working though. It will be wonderful to see our elephants again.
It is indeed working as I’m watchng Mabu at the moment . though the hours for now are limited as mentioned in my previous post. I can see the volunteers are going to have their hands full keeping up with the ellies at times .. seems they are on the run quite a bit around their habitat at the park for whatever reason.
thanks. looking forward to checking it out.
Donna: Thanks for the link — how nice to see “old friends” again…
exactly. when I caught Mabu, Litsemba, and Sundzu (is he old enough to have tiny tusks yet? I was not sure if it might be Punga) on the RPZoo cam, it felt like seeing long lost friends.
Good news! The ellie cam at Reid Zoo is up and running for a few hours a day starting at 9:30. Now we can watch Mabu and his family.
Thanks! Aww look it’s Sundzu! I miss that little boy. This is great!
I just saw Neepo do a little hop. Do you think the Safari Park will train him to capture that behaviour just like Luti?
I so enjoy watching the interactions among all of the elephants; but especially between Nipho and Nisa! They are so cute together. Many thanks to all the wonderful camera operators.
I wonder how long after mating do you know if there is a pregnancy?
Moderator’s note: Because the estrous cycle of the elephant is so long (about 16 weeks), we have to wait until the female would come into estrus again to know if she is pregnant or not. Her progesterone does not go down if she is pregnant, so we could know about two months after breeding.
Moderator – Thanks so much for this info on the length of the estrous cycle. It explains a lot!
A bit puzzling this afternoon when Umngani appeared to be a bit stubborn about moving from the west yard into the main yard . A keeper had detained Neepo in the gateway corridor until Umngani finally scurried over to join them. Also just prior to that, I saw Moose vigorously pushing one of the other ellies along sideways with his head, nearly into the culvert ditch by the wall. Strange goings-on.
I was there today and sat for the morning watching the elephants. I was gone by 1:00, so did not see what you are talking about. However, it was a very interesting day. Loved watching the a trainer teach Luti to lie down on his side. Also noticed that they all enjoyed walking back and forth from the main yard to the west yard. Usually they are silent when I am there, but Swazi and Msholo trumpeted more than once, which was awesome to hear. They all seemed happy and enjoying the great weather. Musi was calm when I was there, Qinisa napped often, Dula was so sweet. Wish I had been there to see what you witnessed on the cam. It is wonderful there.
The young ones aren’t the only playful ellies today! I enjoyed watching Musi try to impress Gani, who must be in estrus. He stood on some rocks and tried to make himself look as tall as possible, but Gani was not fooled! So much fun to watch…
Perhaps one week next year I can visit and spend the night in one of the tents by the elephants. Can we feed/touch the elephants on our special tour?
Moderator’s note: With our wonderful Roar & Snore Safari sleepover program, you do indeed camp out next to our elephant exhibit, but it does not include up-close elephant interaction. Several of our Behind-the-Scenes Safari tours include a visit to our elephant barn, which is pretty cool, too!
Umgani is quite the popular one this morning! Those of you viewing know what I mean. ; )
I am so concerned about Swazi this morning. Just after 7 am I tuned into the cam and she was all the way down. She got up, stood very still, walked backward out of view, came back onto the screen and went to the center of the tight group of elephants and decided to immediately lie down again. Is she okay? I have never seen this before.
All seems good now, thankfully! : )
had a nice time watching the ellies on Reid Park Zoo’s cam (Mabu, Punga, Sundzu, Lungile, Litsemba). I think Punga has small pointy tusks coming out (and he’s getting to be a big boy) but I didn’t really see tusks on Sundzu yet. Sundzu still has that perpetual ring around his mouth (he’s always drinking something). Mabu is still being his dominant self with Punga now trying to push Mabu and Lungile (individually). They had some fun in the mud bath and the pool. The space seems to have a lot of diversity to keep them engaged.
I’m puzzled! You describe Punga as having small, pointy tusks. Punga was born 6 months after Khosi and 6 months before Kami. Khosi has very solid tusks, even though they had to be repaired because she had worn them so thin by rubbing them on everything in sight when she was young, Kami has small tusks that, I believe, could be called pointy, but Punga is a male and I would think he would be more likely to follow Moose with fairly strong, solid tusks, even though he is 3 years younger than Moose, but Moose has had fairly strong, solid tusks for several years.
Don
Maybe Punga is taking after Mabu instead of Samba when it comes to his tusk development. From what I’ve seen of him on the RPZ cam, his tusks aren’t very long considering his age.
As far as Musi tusk go, perhaps he’s like Dula, able to grow them long, but tend to break depending on what he’s doing to them..Then there is the fact we don’t know who his father was either. So that may play into his tusk development too as far as genes go.
Kami’s tusks are short for her age but then that could be her parents gene influence too.
At least Ingazde seems to be growing his tusks well for his age, so maybe he’ll take after Umngani.
the funny thing is that on first sight, I thought Punga was Mabu. I know that sounds ridiculous but Punga’s tusks look about the length of Mabu’s tusks. it’s just that Punga’s are skinnier and sharp at the tips. when he was surrounded by the others, I realized it was Punga.
Khosi has pretty long tusks. I haven’t compared specifically but it seems her tusks appear comparable to some of the adult females.
As long as you remember Mabu has a metal cap on one of his tusks you won’t confuse him with Punga if they are standing alone.
After watch Punga for awhile lately on RPZ’s cam, his tusks are longer than Kami’s but definitely no where as long as Khosi’s are.
I think Khosi is taking after her mom Umngani when it comes to her tusks being as long as they are now, in which case by the time she’s an adult they should be even more beautiful, providing she doesn’t break them along the way.
did little Qinisa make it into the pool Sun.? I saw a bunch of elephants (and a little one) playing but it might have been Neepo. I heard there were Santa Ana winds and it must be warm in San Diego.
What just happened? At about 7:45 (Kansas City, MO time) all the elephants took off running in the same direction. The camera didn’t move and when it did there weren’t any elephants in view. Finally the camera moved towards the gates by the pond and they were all there together, somewhat lined up. I’m wondering if something was happening at the gates or if they were running from something up on the hill.
Only my wild speculation, but from the aftermath that was shown on cam, I think the incident you mention may have involved Musi annoying Umngani again ? Swazi appeared to scurry over in the direction of the gates maybe to quell the disturbance, and some of the others followed after her.
Dear Musi! This morning he was really bothering Umgani. I felt so bad for her, she never gets to relax when he is like this. Qinisa saw Umgani and eagerly went to greet her and found herself between Musi and Umgani. That little powerhouse stopped in her tracks and flared her ears at Musi and stared at him. He turned and walked away. Princess rescued Umgani! Not long after Qinisa went on her way and Musi was back to intimidating Umgani. Swazi noticed this time and stared him down. Musi walked away, far away!
Musi knows he can’t push Qinisa around for fear of Swazi’s wrath and I expect Swazi gets tired of his antics’ effect on the herd too. Hence her reaction toward his behaviour this time.
I have noticed at times Umngani will posiition herself near Swazi, I suppose in hopes of keeping Musi at bay, which seems to work some of the time.
We all realize Musi is growing up and the herd has to work out their standings and differences as naturally as possible.
I just feel sorry for Neepo and Umngani when he’s trying to nurse and Musi is pestering his mom.
Good points! “That little powerhouse stopped in her tracks and flared her ears at Musi and stared at him. He turned and walked away.” makes me think that one more part of Vus’Musi’s reaction was simply surprise or confusion, sort of like “Aww new baby- what? The baby’s making a threat display at me? Huh. Weird. I think I’ll be going now.”
from Umngani’s point of view: naughty Musi. from Musi’s point of view: the pains of adolescence.
Awww.. I am sorry I missed Nisa’s rescue of Umngani ! Shortly after Princess was born I made a comment in jest that she may take over as matriarch even before her 1st birthday. But I guess the little ‘powerhouse’ had taken it seriously.
Two cuties enjoying hay and friendship this evening. Is it Emanti on the right and Mac on the left? Anyone see them in the close up? How nice it was!
Make that Emanti on the left and Mac on the right!
Tomorrow is Halloween. Quite often on holidays there are special happenings that webcam watchers can enjoy. Do any of you elephant cam viewers ever take a look at the polar bear or ape cams at the zoo. I know the polar cam viewers got to see a pumpkin today which made me think that something even more special might happen tomorrow. The antics of the orangutans in the ape cam area are always amusing and if the keepers can find some special treats to share with them, tomorrow might be a great day to watch. HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Thank you don! I will be sure to watch the others too. Happy Halloween!
I did catch the polar bears on cam with their Hallowe’en treats, Though Kalluk and Tatqiq appeared to like the figurines better to play with in the pool.
Happy Hallowe’en to everyone. let’s hope the ellies get some pumpkins to enjoy tomorrow
The 11 p.m. news showed the polar bears had several special treats yesterday and I would expect they will have more today. The apes and orangutans could also have something special planned for them. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Does anyone know the reason that elephants like to do yoga and plant their face into the ground? I would hate to think they are exercising and I am not.
for the kids, I feel as though they are playing. I’ve seen on occasion where an adult will use their tusks to dig the earth a bit. then they might use their trunk to throw the dirt over their body (skin protection).
I’d seen youtube videos of this elephant in a park in S. Korea. he is believed to have taught himself to copy korean words spoken by his trainer. I saw a recent story about it:
www (dot) npr.org/2012/11/01/164099301/move-over-parrot-elephant-mimics-trainer-at-zoo
(maybe other elephantophiles would be interested)
I’m a korean speaker and he indeed seems to be saying a korean word (good)
Thank you! That is so interesting. So often animals are underestimated and perceived as creatures without feelings or community. Elephants fascinate me with their social, intellectual, and emotional behavior. There is far more than we know and it is great that it is coming to light. Perhaps in some way our knowledge will help to preserve those that inhabit the earth with us.