Elephant Odyssey is OPEN!
Posted at 2:51 pm May 26, 2009 by Rick Schwartz
After an amazingly busy seven days last week talking to radio stations and television news crews and answering countless questions about Elephant Odyssey at the San Diego Zoo, IT IS OPEN!
Friday morning we hosted an official “unveiling” for our distinguished guests and donors. With everyone looking on, the curtain was pulled to reveal the unmatched view across Mammoth Plaza and on into the rest of Elephant Odyssey. Shortly after the curtain was opened, Ranchipur and the rest of the elephants made their way across the open exhibit to see what all the fanfare was about.
I had the pleasure of leading those who had gathered for the ceremony through the paths of the exhibit area. The excitement was felt between all of us as we moved from Mammoth Plaza toward the Elephant Care Center (ECC). I have to admit it was so fun to round the corner of the ECC and watch the expression on people’s faces as they saw the most amazing structure ever made for elephants.
From there I met up with several people at the newest restaurant at the Zoo, Sabertooth Grill. Featuring “farm to plate” California cuisine, this is not just a Zoo snack stop. After getting your delicious food, you can grab a seat on the open patio that gives you a great view of the elephants as they, too, forage for food from the many “utilitrees,” man-made trees developed right here at the Zoo. The utilitrees are huge and deliver heat when it is cold, mist when it is hot, food, water, and a variety of enrichment opportunities for the elephants.
Throughout opening weekend I had the pleasure of meeting many Zoo blog readers, members, and donors. I cannot tell you how much fun it is to put a face to the name I have seen on the computer and have the opportunity to answer questions in person. Saturday and Sunday were filled with more interviews and tours, and Monday I came back on my own time to share the experience with some of my family.
If you haven’t had a chance to see it yet, or end up coming back a second or third time, keep an eye out for me. If you see me, please come up and introduce yourself! It is so fun to be able to share the excitement of Elephant Odyssey with you in person and answer your questions.
Rick Schwartz is the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey Ambassador. Read his previous post, Botswana: Making a Difference.
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May 26th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Will you be putting a live cam in the elephant odyssy so we can see both the African and asian elephants at home???!!!
May 26th, 2009 at 3:50 pm
I went to the zoo on the opening day of Elephant Odyssey. I was really impressed!! I cant wait for my family to come visit me so I can take them to go see it. Also, I was wondering, when are the lions and jaguar moving in to their new exhibits?
May 27th, 2009 at 7:00 am
I really hope you will install live web cams so those of us in other states who will probably never get to see it in person will have the opportunity. I am so thrilled for the elephants and sure they are enjoying their new digs. Thank you for all you do to take care of these magnificent elephants. Please, please, please to installing web cams. Thank you from South Dakota.
May 27th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Aly & Connie – At this time there are no plans to add Web cams to Elephant Odyssey. However, with the growing popularity of our online community, who knows what the future may hold.
Desiree – I was told by the construction company that there has been a hold-up in production of the wire that will be used to finish the exterior of the exhibits. The closest estimate they could give on a date of completion was “by the end of June” and that is just an estimate. Not to worry; I will make sure it is announced once they have moved in to their beautiful new homes and are ready for the guests to see.
May 27th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Congratulations on a beautiful facility. Our son, Nat Faith (Dept. of Transportation), visited us for the weekend after spending three nights working at the donor parties for EO. He could not stop talking about the habitat!!! We can’t wait to see it in person, but do love the ads on TV, the internet, and from you.
May 27th, 2009 at 11:18 am
Thanks Rick for the response to web cam question. We will just keep our fingers crossed and hope for web cams in the future. I love watching the web cams that you do have and am very thankful for them. God Bless you all for doing such wonderful things for the Gods creatures.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
Thanks Rick for the wonderful blog about elephant odyssey. Your blog is as usual very informative and interesting for people who might be too far away to visit. Moderator, I was wondering if Umngani’s calf has been named? It would be wonderful to have updates on the african elephant calves.
Moderator’s note: A name for the newest calf has not been finalized yet.
May 27th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Have all the elephants been intro’d yet??
May 27th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Thats funny we just finished our 10 day trip to the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park and we were told by a keeper with the Elephants at the park that the new baby’s name was ” Inghatzi” not sure about the spelling. Every year we come we are amazed at the lack of communication between the Zoo and the Wild Animal Park when they are supposed to be “SISTER FACILITIES”!!!
Moderator’s note: We have just learned that the calf’s name is Ingadze.
May 27th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I heard there was going to be a trunk wall, where visitors can give the elephants treats. Couldn’t the elephants get germs from visitors or vise versa?
May 28th, 2009 at 8:52 am
Kudos on the Special Speaker Program last night. It was a pleasure to meet and hear about Dr. Chase’s work in the field of African elephant migration. Protected migration corridors are the keystone to survival of this magnificent species’ survival. His vision and hard work are truly impressive. I have become a sponsor of your Elephant Footprint program and wish him blue skies and green light in the future. Hope to see him on the safari too. Thanks Rick for arranging this alliance with the SanDiego Zoo.
May 28th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Carol – Your son is one of many of us that can’t stop telling all of our friends and family about Elephant Odyssey. It is even better than we thought it would be – You’ll be amazed once you see it in person!
Connie – Thank you for your blessings. We feel blessed to be able to share our passions with all of you!
Carole – You are welcome! I have enjoyed keeping everyone up to date, be it on the blog or through the interviews we do on TV and radio.
Nicholas – The elephants have been able to see, hear, and smell each other for the last few weeks and all are doing well. The animal care staff is planning to introduce the animals to each other slowly and when the time is right for them.
Joe – First and foremost, I am glad to hear you visit us every year! Guest and member support is what keeps us going and allows us to do what we do. As for the communication, please keep in mind our moderators are not located near any animal care staff and thus it may take a day or two (or more) for information to travel from one point to another. Because our animal care staff does not work in office areas, it can be challenging to get a prompt e-mail response or returned phone call. Trust me, we all do our best to keep everyone informed. See ya next year!
Kat – There is a trunk wall that will be monitored by a keeper. At this time I do not believe it has been decided on what level the public will participate in any feeding. I can tell you that proper hand washing is a policy that we have for any and all hands-on animal experiences.
Jan – Wasn’t that a great talk? That was the second talk I have sat in on and also watched the “Elephants Breaking Boundaries” documentary a couple of times. Dr. Chase’s program is amazing and Project Elephant Footprint is a great way to get involved. I wish I could take credit for arranging the alliance between the San Diego Zoo and Dr. Chase’s Elephants Without Borders (EWB), but alas, I cannot. This alliance was fostered within our conservation division known as the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Dr. Chase and Kelly Landen (EWB Project Manager) and with that, bringing information about their project to you. Thank you very much for supporting Project Elephant Footprint!
May 28th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Hey Rick, I am glad the exhibit turned out so good. Unfortunately since I live all the way in Florida I only make it to SDZ once a year. I visited last Feb. and I am planning to come out next year in June 2010 to see the new exhibit. On all the videos I have seen the elephants looks so happy and they are probably enjoying the ample enrichment they have in the exhibit. One question- Do all of the utili-trees have the acacia trees in them? and how long do you think it will be until the acacia trees grow over and the elephants can enjoy the branches?
P.S. You have been a great ambassador for the exhibit and thank you so much for all the wonderful updates.
May 28th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
First, it’s a relief to know that the new guy has a name! The baby elephant gallery doesn’t give the name of Lungile’s daughter, and I bet the zookeepers were so busy trying to save her life that they didn’t have spare time to name her. Now I can be sure her tragedy’s not happening again now.
Second, I searched for “Ingadze” on Google and didn’t find anything. Is it an abbreviation, like the way “Khosi” is short for “Inhlitiyo ye Inkhosikati”?
Speaking of elephant names, do they have names in the wild? According to a 2006 report in PNAS from Dr. Vincent Janik, of the Sea Mammal Unit at St Andrews University, dolphins name themselves, and elephants are pretty smart too…
May 28th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Went to the exhbit today with my three year old (dino crazy) son and one year old daughter (nicknamed ChaCha) and we LOVED it. It was SO crowded – obviously the word is out and the word is GOOD – but we’ll be back after the tourists leave.
One of our favorite things was the volunteers there with pretend fossils/bones – my son loved comparing the mammoth tooth to the elephant tooth and trying on the condor wings.
We ate lunch at the Sabertooth Grill – great and it was great to be able to watch the elephants from the plaza. My son also loved the fossil portal and the final “dig site” near the end (across from the condors). Great exhibit – love it!
May 29th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Loved the new exhibit. i was wondering when or if more videos about the exhibit and animals will be posted? my family and i really enjoy learning about the animals and have already watched them several times.
May 31st, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Are there plans to make a 7-member herd of Ranchipur, Mary, Cookie, Cha Cha, Devi, Sumithi, and Tembo, if this has not been done already?
On a side note, what do the keepers and other staff do when Ranchipur is in musth?
June 1st, 2009 at 6:03 am
Rick, I had the chance to watch a piece on Mike Chase on wild kingdom yesterday. What amazing creatures these elephants are. how they find the old pathways that have been walked for hundreds of years. Mike is so dedicated to saving these beautiful animals as the story told that the government wanted to cull at least 60,000 animals. I am coming to California in Nov and can’t wait to see elephant odyssey. On a side note I watched a piece called growing up clouded leopard from Nashville zoo The gentleman who runs the SSP is named Rick Schwartz, have you heard of him
June 1st, 2009 at 6:17 am
Saw a new commercial for Elephant Odyssey and it was quite humorous. The marketing firm who handles the zoo’s pr does a bang up job. The commercials are always very entertaining.
June 1st, 2009 at 7:32 am
Congratulations to all!!
This is an awesome exhibit!! From the beginning in the ‘tar pits’ to the end of ‘Horton’s Trail’ it was so enjoyable. We have a new favorite place for lunch at the ‘Sabertooth Grill’. It has a menu of wonderful salads and a great patio on which to leisurely eat and watch those precious pachyderms.
Ranchipur and his girls look to be very happy in their new digs! And I can imagine that the ‘zoo’ girls are enjoying all that new larger space. The elephant care center is awesome!!
We just can’t say enough–except THANK YOU to all who have been and will be a part of this.
Rick, you have been an awesome Ambassador and your enthusiasm is contagious! Thank you for all your wonderful blogs!! And thank you for all your answers!! I wish that everyone could come and enjoy Elephant Odyssey in person. But, until they can, your blogs are the next best thing.
Blessings to All OF YOU!! With Love, judy j
June 1st, 2009 at 11:05 am
I can’t wait to go down and see Elephant Odyssey. Last time I was there I saw the zoo elephants of course and they seem happy with the new area. It wasn’t complete then of course but I wondered and I’m sure you’ve answered it before but why isn’t Tembo at the park with the other African elephants? Would she not be accepted? Is there any difference in how the Asian elephants see her? I’m sure the other zoo elephants are used to her and what difference does it make that her ears are bigger and all but I just wondered how it all worked.
Moderator’s note: Peggy, read Rick’s post about this very topic at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/wordpress/default/elephants-a-zoo-family/
June 1st, 2009 at 11:26 am
Is there a specific reason that, after all the questions and requests regarding a name of the new baby elephant, that it was not announced properly?? That should have been a priority and should also have included the meaning of the name. What a disservice that we have to accidently run across it at the end of a blog…….like, “Oh, by the way…..” What is wrong with the communication link between all of you at the WAP and SDZ. Shame on you for this major slip-up. Your fans and visitors deserve better than this.
June 1st, 2009 at 5:01 pm
I got video of the new baby boy, Ingadze, at 3 days old in the yard and at 8 days old in the field. On May 15 I got a first. Seems Ingadze crossed over a log, similar to what Kami used to do when younger, but did something I have never seen before. He actually landed on his feet, at two months old! I have it on video to prove it! The elephant keepers should be proud of their work. I have taken so much video since Khosi was the first baby girl elephant born at the WAP and it has been so much fun watching their antics as they have grown up. Just want to give a huge thanks to all that have contributed to my enjoyment of both the zoo and the Wild Animal Park.
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:30 am
“Is there a specific reason that, after all the questions and requests regarding a name of the new baby elephant, that it was not announced properly?? That should have been a priority and should also have included the meaning of the name. What a disservice that we have to accidently run across it at the end of a blog…….like, “Oh, by the way…..” What is wrong with the communication link between all of you at the WAP and SDZ. Shame on you for this major slip-up. Your fans and visitors deserve better than this.”
Good points.
At the same time, not all zoos and families announce births the same way (look at the massive publicity around Antwerp Zoo’s Kai-Mook – are any San Diego officials godparents of any WAP babies?), and it can even vary from birth to birth within a zoo or family. For all I know the elephant keepers at WAP are still shaken and somber from the tragedy of the last birth (and first death since coming to America) in the herd despite all their best efforts, hence less hoopla about Ingadze before he outlives poor Lungile’s daughter. For all I know, they’ll never fully “get over it” and so this is the new normal for WAP elephant birth announcements.
June 3rd, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Re Barbara, #18, comment about the government wanting to cull 60,000 elephants. Since that is how the rapidly growing herd came to WAP, does that mean there might be a change in US wildlife policy and allow more animals due to be culled into the US to responsible and caring organizations dedicated to their survival. Since reproduction of captive elephants is almost as tricky as that of pandas, and therefore with the current import restrictions in place and extremely low birthrate (except at WAP and Ringling Bros), it would seem a win-win for both elephants and institutions that can house and care for them.
Once the combination of the WAP Asian elephants and the SDZ Asian and one African elephant is successful, it will be a stellar example of how such efforts can be done, and benefit both animals and institutions that house them. Bringing the WAP elephants to SDZ allows them to have the state of the art environment they need, and allows the WAP growing herd the room it needs to be as natural as possible and continue to grow.
June 7th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
goodnes people, have you no patience at all? the zoo and wap is very busy and does not always have time to cater to every one of our whims whenever we want them! I know no other zoo that accomadates it’s bloggers with so many up-dates and answers so many of our questions which are sometimes repeated over and over again!! many zoos do not even have a blogger site and only give zoo news from their paper!
be happy! we are very lucky and spoiled to get so much information from this wonderful zoo. we will not die from curiousity if we do not know the name of a baby elephant right away, or when we think we should be told!! there is always a reason why! all in due time! I don’t think we could pronounce the name anyway!
June 8th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
“goodnes people, have you no patience at all? the zoo and wap is very busy and does not always have time to cater to every one of our whims whenever we want them! I know no other zoo that accomadates it’s bloggers with so many up-dates and answers so many of our questions which are sometimes repeated over and over again!! many zoos do not even have a blogger site and only give zoo news from their paper!”
As for Antwerp Zoo’s online updates and info about Kai-Mook (there seems to be a lot in both Dutch and French, but I can’t read those languages), I doubt there will be as much about the next baby in her herd – he or she won’t be the First Elephant Ever Born In Belgium, after all.
“”be happy! we are very lucky and spoiled to get so much information from this wonderful zoo. we will not die from curiousity if we do not know the name of a baby elephant right away, or when we think we should be told!! there is always a reason why! all in due time!”
Yeah!
“I don’t think we could pronounce the name anyway!”
N-Gad-Zee
June 11th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
I did not care what or when they named the new calf. I’m just happy that it is healthy and doing fine. Sure frequent updates are nice but I find it more important that the keepers are aware that their primary responsibility is to the animals in their care and not to satisfy our curiosity. GREAT WORK KEEPERS!!!!!!! Also for those of you that like to hear through the blogs, I hear the WAP is expecting 3 more calves next year. HOORAY!!!!!!!
June 13th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Rick,
I was so excited to visit Elephant Odyssey on opening day and was so happy to see the elephants now have a much larger exhibit to enjoy. I have one concern though. I was a little disappointed the Lions, M’bari and Etosha, had not yet arrived but once I saw their exhibit I’m not sure it’s big enough for them nor did it seem to have enough shady areas. Was their exhibit planned to be this small? I’m more concerned for their well being than for my opportunity to finally see them in person. The Jaguar, Nindiri, also seemed to have a small area with not much shade which I’m sure she is used to coming from her old enclosure. I love these cats so much and just want to be sure they are well taken care of. Other than that you have a wonderful new exhibit I will enjoy every time I visit.
June 13th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Mark, #24 & #27, and Nancy, #26…..Some good points, agreed, but okay, enough already…..give it a rest, would ya??? Jeez
June 15th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Hey! I was on the elephant cam at around 6:30pm EDT (3:30pm PDT), and I saw some of the elephant kids with a couple of adult elephants, and then I saw something a little odd walking by! Was that a deer that was on the cam?? I didn’t know that there were other animals in the yard with the elephants! Moderator, can you please let me know what that was that I saw on the cam? Would love to know what other animals are in the elephant yard!
Still need a good long update about the new calf, his name, and how he’s been doing lately. You also need to get a picture of the elephant calf and his bio info on the Meet the Elephants page! The other 3 elephant kids need to have updates done on theirs as well.
Hope to hear from you all soon with new updates!
Chari Mercier
St. Pete, FL
Moderator’s note: Native mule deer often jump into the elephants’ exhibit.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:21 pm
“Hey! I was on the elephant cam at around 6:30pm EDT (3:30pm PDT), and I saw some of the elephant kids with a couple of adult elephants, and then I saw something a little odd walking by! Was that a deer that was on the cam?? I didn’t know that there were other animals in the yard with the elephants! Moderator, can you please let me know what that was that I saw on the cam? Would love to know what other animals are in the elephant yard!”
“Moderator’s note: Native mule deer often jump into the elephants’ exhibit.”
Chari, also see this blog post:
Sound the Alarm!
Posted at 10:36 am October 6, 2008 by Emily Rothwell
“…As some of you have seen and commented, wild mule deer will occasionally wander in and out of the elephant enclosure. This is not a concern because the interactions between the animals are friendly, and they mostly pay little attention to one another. However, one morning, a deer crept close to little Khosi without her noticing. Boy, was she surprised! When she turned around and saw the deer, she gave a ‘trumpet’ alarm…”
August 24th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Exactly how much free room do the elephants have to roam….I keep looking at pictures and videos and I still can’t tell……is there grass for them to walk on?? that dirt looks really hard…….
March 14th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Have any of the Odyssey elephants ever had calves?