Elephants: They’re Here
Posted at 10:56 am April 28, 2009 by Ron RingerOn Saturday, April 25, the elephant staff at the San Diego Zoo received four large gifts for Elephant Odyssey from the elephant staff at the Wild Animal Park. The four Asian elephants, Ranchipur, Cookie, Mary, and Cha Cha, arrived at their new home around 3:30 in the afternoon. By 6 p.m. they were all unloaded and checking out their new home.
Everyone, including the elephants, did an outstanding job of loading, transporting, and unloading. All four elephants made the trip with no problems, except maybe being a bit tired from the day’s activities. With an escort of about 25 California Highway Patrol officers, keepers, vet staff, and support staff, the trip from Escondido was flawless.
When the elephants arrived at the Zoo, we had a crane, forklifts, and staff ready to unload the elephants as quickly as possible. It was decided that Cha Cha would be first. After unloading her crate from the truck and putting it into position, the door was opened. Her keepers from the Wild Animal Park were there to encourage her to come out. It took awhile for her to build up the confidence to leave her crate, which she did several times only to go back in when she got a bit uncertain. What finally did the trick was when her keeper, Brian, dropped his hat into the chute area and she picked it up to hand it back. This behavior was one that the two of them had been doing for awhile. Cha Cha came right out and handed the hat back to Brian, and our first elephant was welcomed to her new exhibit!
Next was Ranchipur. He was unloaded the same way as Cha Cha. He, too, was a bit nervous, but his keepers kept him calm with their reassurances. Then it was decided to let him see his girlfriend, Cha Cha, and he came right out. Guess he figured if it was good enough for her…. So we were two down and two to go!
Cookie was the next elephant to be unloaded. Like the other two, her crate was placed in position, door opened, and she came right out when her keepers called. The fun thing with her was that she had to follow a different path into the Elephant Care Center. There were several doors and transfer areas to pass through, which she did without hesitation and went right to her keepers. Just one more to go!
As we did with the others, Mary’s crate was position and secured, the door opened and basically before we could react, Mary was in the stall with Cookie. There were some chirps from Cookie and spontaneous applause from everyone who was there to witness this monumental event.
I was lucky enough to be chosen, along with my fellow elephant keeper Scott, to be there until midnight to make sure everyone was settling in to their new environment. The elephants’ keepers set all four of them up for the night and said their good byes. It had been a long day for everyone, and it could not have gone better. Five of the keepers from the Wild Animal Park are going to stay and work at Elephant Odyssey, which will make the transition all the more easier. I can say it was a pleasure to see elephants roaming the new facility at night, and all of them were comfortable. I could tell, because all were pigging out on the fresh browse and hay that had been given to them!
Now it is our turn to duplicate the wonderful job that the Park’s elephant keepers have done. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will be following the same path and getting the Zoo’s elephants loaded up and moved to Elephant Odyssey. The trip will just not be as far, and we won’t need the Highway Patrol as escorts!
Ron Ringer is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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April 28th, 2009 at 11:15 am
How exciting this is. You guys are great. I can hardly keep my curiosity in check about what the plans are for the Asian elephant exhibit at the Park. Any hints?
April 28th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Elephant Odyssey sounds wonderful! I am going to have to start planning my next visit to the zoo!! Thanks for the update.
April 28th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Any plans for the elephant exhibit on Elephant Mesa?
April 28th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
How sweet is Cha Cha — handing the hat back to Brian — what a sweetheart. My excitement is building as well — I can hardly wait to check out Elephant Odyseey and meet the new residents!! Thank you so much for the very heartwarming update — you can tell how much everyone loves these animals by what great care they take in making sure everyone is comfortable and happy!
April 28th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Hi Ron, Many, many thanks for your very touching and informative blog. It was great that you and Scott were able to stay on until you were certain that the elephants had settled in their new environment. It sounds like they are all doing well thanks to everyone’s expert care and attention. The fact that the keepers from the WAP will remain at Elephant Odyssey is a plus. New surroundings, sights, smells and sounds can be very scary and it helps to have a friendly face and/or voice to reassure the elephants that all is well.
Next it will be Devi, Tembo, and Sumithi’s turn to move to their new home. I know all will go well. Too bad you can’t just walk them up to the Elephant Odyssey. I understand that it’s a lot safer for everyone concerned to transport the three ladies in crates.
Ron, a bit of trivia – I’m from back East – In the Spring, the circus arrives in New York City to perform at Madison Square Garden. The Asian elephants are unloaded from the train and the elephants (who are well-trained) start their trek into Manhattan via the Queens Midtown Tunnel – which is closed to traffic. It is quite a sight.
Accompanied by their handlers, the elephants walk in single file using their trunks to grip the tails of the elephants in front of them. Once the elephants reach the Manhattan exit, there are thousands of people cheering the animals on. This all happens after midnight. The Dave Letterman Show always televises these elephants for his viewers.
I’m certain these Asian elephants are well trained and have a temperament that allows them to tolerate all the loud sounds and commotion.
April 28th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
The Asian elephant exhibit at the Wild Animal Park will become more space for the African herd that is still growing! At some point the Park will open up a walkway between the two exhibits. Not sure when this will take place. The elephant exhibit on Elephant Mesa is going through a facelift and something special has been planned, so stay tuned for the announcement!
April 29th, 2009 at 7:15 am
How exciting for the SDZ to finally have the exhibit up and running. I cant wait to come see it !
Thanx for the update Ron. =)
April 29th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Thanks Ron for both updates. Congratulations to all on an excellent “opening” of Elephant Odyssey to its newest residents. We look forward to hearing about the introductions and “moving” of the SDZ’s three resident elephants.
It is also exciting to get an update on the extra space for the African elephants at WAP. With two more bull elephants growing up quickly, especially Musi, they will need more space for their male elephants to roam and eventually potentially breed on their own. The expanded space will allow for more management of the elephants for everyone’s health and safety. Since breeding of captive elephants is critical now, due to no elephants being allowed into the country from elsewhere, it is important to keep the living conditions for both sets of elephants optimal. With the separation of Asians at Elephant Odyssey and Africans at WAP, both herds have plenty of room to grow in a natural way that is great for their health and well being. The addition of the African elephant herd to WAP is huge for US captive elephant population. Mabu is obviously a strong bull and great producer of elephant calves in captivity. Your herd is not encountering any of the reproduction challenges that others have in US facilities.
April 29th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Where are the pictures? We want to see.
April 29th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
“…With two more bull elephants growing up quickly…”
Shouldn’t that be three more, Vus’musi, Impunga, and the new baby? Uh oh…
May 3rd, 2009 at 4:22 pm
I read that elephants in the wild can hear and feel motion and approching animals and humans from miles away. Since the elephants from WAP are used to the relative quiet of a rural setting and less “noise” and motion, do you anticipate any reactions in their behavior from them being in a large park in the middle of a big city now? I would think that not only the noises of the zoo will be different, but the noises of a city, and definitely the difference in traffic outside the zoo would be apparent to their sensitive receptors. It will be interesting to see how they adapt, and how quickly, since they have been at their home at WAP for a long time, and are very familiar with those sights, sound, and motions in the earth.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Just wondering why it’s taking so long for the baby to be named.
May 5th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Is there any way to get the African Elephants into the Asian elephants former area prior to the walkway being built? I suppose there are plans to do some horticultural renovations prior to that so that once it is open to the whole herd the vegetation is ready to support the new residents.
Moderator’s note: Currently the Wild Animal Park’s two elephant exhibits are very separate, with no access from one to the other.
May 6th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Congratulations on a successful move. How are the elephants acclimating? We enjoyed visiting the elephants at Wild Animal Park we look forwards to the opening of Elephant Odyssey.
Moderator’s Note: They’re settling in extremely well, and have christened their enormous pool; watch the video here: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/
May 6th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
I really don’t know what you guys are thinking by putting Tembo with the Asians. Don’t you realize that she is an African elephant? So what’s the problem?, you ask. Well, don’t you know that African elephants can be carriers of EEHV, a potentially lethal virus for young Asian elephants!
May 6th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Thanks, Moderator for helping me understand the layout of the two elephant areas at WAP, and for giving us the link to the pool christening. Glad to hear that everyone is settling in well. Any idea when the SDZ crew will be starting up to EO and start their introductions? Presumably plans are in the works to have everyone there by Opening Day, although introductions may not be done by then.
May 6th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I was looking through the videos today and saw one called “animals of Elephant Odyssey.” I was surprised that it was about Izu because I thought he and Mina and Oshana are at WAP, and M’Bari and Etosha are at SDZ. So, then I went to map of Elephant Odyssey to see if I could understand this mystery. It says there will be two lions. Is that going to M’Bari and Etosha? Or, are there plans to mix them up a bit since Etosha has only had one successful cub so far, and Mina and Oshana have both had two litters by Izu? It makes sense that it might be time to do some swapping around for the gene pool, but how do the social aspects of the pride work with that? Since there are no cams for Lions, and no related place to ask questions, I figured that the elephant blog about Elephant Odyssey was the most appropriate place to go to get answers. Please write some more about the additional animals that will be at Elephant Odyssey. Presumably all of them will be moving into their new areas by May 23.
Moderator’s note: Sorry for the confusion, Margaret. Izu and his pride are staying at the Wild Animal Park’s Lion Camp. Etosha and M’bari are the two lions moving from the Park to the Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey. We hope you enjoyed the video of Izu! http://www.sandiegozoo.org/videos/?bcpid=4552241001&bclid=5171891001&bctid=17052999001
May 6th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
“Just wondering why it’s taking so long for the baby to be named.”
I remember something about the baby being named after a donor.
MIT once needed to expand on-campus housing and planned to name a dorm after a big donor. In the meantime the administration called it “500 Memorial Drive” (and students called it “Next House,” as in the next house to be named). That was in 1982. MIT is still waiting for a donation big enough to stick the donor’s name on this dorm and stop using its street adress as its temporary name.
Now I really hope the baby will be named after one of the donors who already donated, instead of being Next Elephant until the right future donor comes along…
May 8th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
David G. Signer
I think the keepers and veterinarians know what they are doing. I believe Tembo has been with Asian Elephants most of her life. I’m sure she has been tested for EEHV.
May 10th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
“David G. Signer
“I think the keepers and veterinarians know what they are doing. I believe Tembo has been with Asian Elephants most of her life. I’m sure she has been tested for EEHV.”
Besides, the San Diego Zoo got her years and years before they got the African elephant herd from Swaziland. What were they supposed to do instead of keeping her with some Asian elephants, keep her all alone?
May 11th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
It’s not so much a problem if she is kept with adult Asian elephants. But if they are expecting to have some calves (with Ranchipur there), they had better be careful. Calves are especially susceptible to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus.
Moderator’s note: The herd at the San Diego Zoo is largely elderly and is not a breeding group.
May 12th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
“But if they are expecting to have some calves (with Ranchipur there)”
In the blog entry “Elephants: A Zoo Family,” Posted at 4:38 pm March 16, 2009 by Rick Schwartz, that topic came up in the comments:
Rick: “Nicholas – The very handsome bull, Ranchipur, will be one of the four Asian elephants coming to live at Elephant Odyssey. However we will not have any breeding.”
Me: “why no breeding for the Asian+Tembo herd?”
Taylor: “Mark the reason they are not breeding the Asian + Tembo herd is because all the Asians are well past prime breeding age. The youngest of the SDWAP Asian Elephants is Ranchipur and he is 43 years old. Devi is the youngest at the zoo at 31 years old, which is too old to become a first time mom. It might be okay if she had been having babies her whole life, but for a first time mom it’s too old and it could pose a risk to her or the baby.”
May 13th, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Mm-hm. Still, adult Asians can contract EEHV, and although Devi and Sumithi might be OK with Tembo, who says Ranchipur, Mary, Cookie, or Cha-Cha aren’t more susceptible to the disease?
May 18th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Can Ron or a moderator give a definitive answer regarding EEHV? Explain if there is a test that clears Tembo as a possible EEHV carrier. Any information would be welcome. Thanks
Moderator’s note: We’ve found an excellent source of information for you at http://nationalzoo.si.edu/ConservationAndScience/SpotlightOnScience/elephantvirus.cfm
May 24th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
I’m an avid fan of the Zoo/WAP and I decided to go to the opening day of the Elephant Odyssey (which is also falls on Memorial weekend). Anyhow, I knew to expect a lot of visitors and was very excited to see the new exhibit. However I was pretty disappointed when all I saw were three, maybe four elephants roaming their new habitat. All the others were caged up. I went first thing in the morning so I went back later in the afternoon and it was no different.
Ron responds: Thank you so much for attending the grand opening. It was very crazy, but fun for all. One of the amazing features of Elephant Odyssey is the Care Center, which is wide open for all to see! What you witnessed in the morning and the afternoon was elephants being worked or cared for by their keepers. Each day all of the elephants come into the Care Center for their baths and foot scrubs. Some of them even get foot soaks or the vets come down to look them over. None of the elephants spends the night in the Center but are released out into the large yards. Right now the elephants from the Zoo are in the first yard and the Park elephants have yards 3 and 4. We will be looking at introducing everyone at a later date, but for now we just want them all to get used to the new facility. I hope that answers your question; if not, feel free to write me back, and I will be happy to help, and again thank you for visiting Elephant Odyssey.
July 10th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
For some more info on EEHV, visit the International Elephant Foundation’s Web site and click on EEHV.