Comments on: Elephants: They’re Here

By: David G. Signer

David G. Signer — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:06:30 +0000

For some more info on EEHV, visit the International Elephant Foundation’s Web site and click on EEHV.

By: Jaime

Jaime — Mon, 25 May 2009 01:17:10 +0000

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.

By: Kat

Kat — Tue, 19 May 2009 01:39:29 +0000

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

By: David G. Signer

David G. Signer — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:53:03 +0000

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?

By: Mark

Mark — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:47:15 +0000

“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.”

By: David G. Signer

David G. Signer — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:35:34 +0000

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.

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 10 May 2009 18:23:37 +0000

“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?

By: Vickie

Vickie — Sat, 09 May 2009 05:36:37 +0000

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.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:27:19 +0000

“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…

By: Margaret

Margaret — Wed, 06 May 2009 21:41:58 +0000

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