I am happy to say that the day we thought might never arrive has come: elephants Tina and Jewel are cleared from quarantine. No more sanitizing mats, changing our clothes, and washing our hands every few minutes. YEAH! However, don’t expect to see them out right away; the process of introducing them to the rest of the San Diego Zoo’s herd at Elephant Odyssey will take some time. (See post, Elephants Tina and Jewel: Training Progress)
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Tina and Jewel, the Zoo’s newest Asian elephant residents, continue to do well here in San Diego (see previous post, Elephants Tina and Jewel: One Month). They have both completed a full physical, which includes having their eyes checked, neck palpated, and blood drawn, as well as other things.
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The next time you visit the Wild Animal Park, make sure to head to the Elephant Overlook first thing in the morning. Chances are you will hear a whole lot of trumpeting going on. You may be wondering who is making such a racket so early in the morning? Well, it is our very own African elephant calf, Ingadze. At 5.5 months of age, he is testing out his vocal chords and making sure everyone knows he is here! He is growing up fast and learning how to talk the talk and walk the walk of an African elephant.
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It’s been one month now since the arrival of Asian elephants Tina and Jewel to Elephant Odyssey at the San Diego Zoo. Their most recent weights show that they have gained almost 200 pounds each! See video. Our goal is to continue offering a variety of foods to facilitate continued weight gain. Both are very vocal and full of personality. Their squeaks and squawks are so different from those of the rest of the herd. Elephants all have sounds as individual and unique as they are. Tina and Jewel are both very willing to participate in training sessions and genuinely enjoy interacting with us.
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As many of you know, I have been working at the San Diego Zoo for nearly nine years now. Prior to stepping into the Elephant Odyssey Ambassador position (see post, What is an Elephant Odyssey Ambassador), I had worked as a keeper in the Children’s Zoo at the San Diego Zoo. Being a keeper is a dream job: working hands on with very unique animals from around the world and being able to share my experiences with our guests is more enjoyable than you can imagine.
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It goes without saying that life at Elephant Odyssey is evolving at a rapid pace! With the addition of Tina and Jewel to our family (see post, New Elephants: Jewel and Tina), our staff is working ‘round the clock to make sure everyone gets the care they need. In the meantime, I know a lot of you are wondering about how the introductions between the four elephants that moved to the San Diego Zoo from the Wild Animal Park and the three that were already here at the Zoo are progressing (see Settling In at Elephant Odyssey), and I can tell you that they are, indeed, moving right along.
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Tina and Jewel have moved into the Elephant Care Center’s special needs facility at the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey (see post, New Elephants: Jewel and Tina). While going through the quarantine period, health issues and general behavior is evaluated. They have hearty appetites and did not stop eating for two days after we received them on Saturday, August 22.
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Family is very important for elephants, and in the wild they live in closely related family groups. Each group has a matriarch, who is the leader of the herd, and other adult females who are typically her daughters and granddaughters. These families of female elephants help one another to raise their calves and defend one another from predators. Female calves generally stay in the herd they were born into for their whole lives, whereas males leave their natal herd at about 12 years of age when they are drawn away by independence. Males then spend time living alone or with a group of other males called a bachelor herd (see post, Wild Elephants at the Waterhole).
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Fred is in Botswana to study elephants with Dr. Mike Chase of Elephants Without Borders. Please read his previous post, Wild Elephants on the Waterfront.

Sometimes, bachelor boy groups get a bad name. But male elephants form bachelor herds that are quite close knit.

Young males generally leave their birth herd and somehow find other males to wander around with. We came across a herd of six boys at a waterhole in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. They were not only drinking the water, but also splashing mud all over themselves. Other males slowly came through the bush and joined them.
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About 6 a.m. on Saturday, August 22, a large air-conditioned truck arrived at the back gate of the San Diego Zoo. Inside the truck were two Asian elephants, just arrived from a long journey from Texas. The two elephants, named Jewel and Tina, were removed from the care of a private owner by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on August 20.
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