Comments on: Busy Elephant Calves

By: Betsy

Betsy — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:28:10 +0000

Hey everybody, you are all doing a superb job! All the animals are so much fun to watch. When I watched Bai Yun stand up next to one of the trees and bite Zhen Zhen on the back of the neck and pull her down out of that tree, it scared me, and then she kept it up and pulled her off the log and on the ground by the back of the neck, I guess she really made her mom upset with her. I also saw one of the polar bears drag his pine tree into the water and put it on the shelf rock and slept on it, it was so cute. The funniest thing I saw was a mother elephant standing next to the fence for a keeper or vet and show her foot and then turn around, she had her baby standing there with her and when the baby turned around, she threw herself right on the ground, I never laughed so hard, it was so funny! Thanks again for all you do!

By: Cameron

Cameron — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:49:34 +0000

Man, you have had 4 baby elephants born in the park ever since Mabu and his six ‘wives’ arrived! Moose, Khosi, Punga, and Kamile, they may be half-siblings, but that doesn’t make much of a difference! Heck, it would be nice to see all four of the elephants I listed take an excursion around their enclosure.

By: Don Stillwell

Don Stillwell — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:03:05 +0000

I want to thank Judy J for her comments (32). Where can someone learn more about the Elephant Odessey at the ZOO and the plans to combine the Asian and African elephant areas at the WAP after the Asian elephants are moved to the ZOO that Judy J wrote about in her comment? Continued thanks to the elephant caretakers and all who work in the elephant area for their continuing hard work making their charges comfortable and for making their daily lives adventurous with all their enrichment items.

By: Judy J

Judy J — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:42:34 +0000

I am in total agreement with Don (#31). The keepers and veterinarians and other staff at the WAP are devoted caretakers of these precious pachyderms. The hours they have spent watching over this amazing herd have been countless and the enthusiasm they have for their charges is highly evident and contagious. As Don has, I and my family and friends have spent many hours on the Elephant Overlook observing the behaviors of this ‘family’ and the antics of the ‘toddlers and juvenilles’. And my understanding is that when the new Elephant Odessey at the ZOO is completed within the next year or so the Asain elephants currently at the WAP will all be transferred to that new 7 acre site and their area will somehow be opened and joined with the African elephants at the WAP. Saving this group of elephants from certain death was a challenging task taken on by the Zoological Society and we are so grateful they persevered and were successful. Whenever we visit the WAP and Mabu and his family they have always seemed comfortable, secure, calm and happy and we are thrilled that they have been able to reproduce so well. It has been important to acquire new genetics in the elephant population in the US and they have been very successful in this endeavor. We have also learned invaluable information I am sure that has helped not only us but other zoos and parks improve their elephant programs and care. Please rest assured John that these elephants are all loved and given the best care by the most wondeful and dedicated staff you could find anywhere.

Thank you staff for all your hours of devoted care for our precious pachyderms.

Blessed Be, Judy J

By: Don Stillwell

Don Stillwell — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:14:53 +0000

With reference to item 30, 5 of the 6 female elephants have had babies and those babies have provided me with hours and hours of enjoyment. The WAP is doing what it was created to do. It’s not as if they popped out babies every month or so, it takes 22 to 24 months for a pregnancy and the pregnancy doesn’t occur until after the previous offspring is several years old. I am proud of the Zoo and WAP for stepping in and saving elephants that were due to become non-existent. The 3 acres of land seem to give space for all to maneuver comfortably, including the babies. Watching the 2 baby girls and the one small baby boy interacting with each other is precious. I don’t think the gentleman has to be concerned with the breeding running amuck. Again, thanks for interceding for these elephants so they could produce offspring for many hundreds of visitors to enjoy. Keep giving them tender loving care, they deserve it.

By: John

John — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:14:11 +0000

Your small fenced-off enclosure is entirely too small for the number of elephants you have. Do you plan to let the breeding run amuck? Please answer the tough questions from a concerned public. Please do not sugar coat everything. You can pretend those of us who are elephant entusiasts are not there, but we are not going away. If you want our respect, you must respect our concerns.

By: ANEESA SALAM

ANEESA SALAM — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 07:18:04 +0000

PLEASE SHOW ME A VEDIO OF BIRTH OF ELEPHANT

By: Don Stillwell

Don Stillwell — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:31:07 +0000

Re items 25 and 27 in above list of responses, I went to the WAP today to see if I could learn the secret of the magical ball. For those who are as curious as I was, I learned the ball is one of the enrichments for the elephants. Seems it is actually attached to a stake by a strap and is filled with goodies for the elephants. It always comes back to the same spot because of the strap. The person who told me how it works said the WAP likes to change enrichment items regularly so this item may appear again in the future. The 3 young elephants are always a delight to watch, especially when they are playing together. They seem equally at home in sand or mud! Thanks ever so much for caring enough to keep thinking of new ways to make their days pleasant.

By: Don Stillwell

Don Stillwell — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:19:02 +0000

What happened? The seemingly magical ball at the end of the log seems to have disappeared. There are shadows for the log and for the elephants but none for the ball. Wrote on July 6 about all the fun the young and old alike were having playing with the ball. Don’t guess you respond to e-mails, but this is getting curiouser and curiouser (if that’s the correct spelling). Perhaps it was a one day only distraction but I was pretty sure it was still there yesterday. Just never saw any elephants in the field at the same time as I saw the ball. Keep up the good work and keep giving those elephants fun activities to look forward to.

By: Joan

Joan — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:11:55 +0000

Hi There

Just wondering when an elephant update might hit the blog?! It’s been months and I know I keep thinking about Lungile, so I imagine others are also wondering. Any information would be greatly appreciated by us viewers!

Thank you!

Moderator’s note: We hope to have one by the end of this week. (We’ve been nagging!)