Elephants

Elephants

14

Zoo Elephants: Ranchipur

By
Ron Ringer
– April 9, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants

Ranchipur: Boys will be boys!

The San Diego Zoo’s male Asian elephant, Ranchipur, is a striking individual with a really good temperament. He cooperates with his keepers and allows us to take care of him on a daily basis. Many zoos across the country have males that are much more aggressive and difficult to work with because…they are male elephants!

It is not unusual for male Asian elephants to be in a period of heightened hormonal activity called musth. This is a time in a male’s life where he has lots of testosterone coursing through his body, and it really affects his mood and personality. This period can last from 2 to 12 months.

Ranchipur usually comes into musth around the end of July to the beginning of August. He first arrived at the Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey from our Safari Park in April 2009. He was quick to explore all of our yards and pools. Ranchipur showed signs of his first musth here at the end of July that year, and it lasted for about two months, but he continued to cooperate with the keepers, and we were able to care for him as we do for all of our elephants.

In 2010, for some reason, he did not come into musth. This was too bad, because we were hoping for the weight loss that usually accompanies musth. At one point he actually tipped the scale at almost 12,980 pounds (5,900 kilograms). That is too much to weigh for a 45-year-old elephant who has some hip problems. After his previous musth, he had lost almost 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms).

Since he didn’t come into musth, we had to try something else to get the weight off. He usually spent the nights with one of the females, but he also ate all of her food! We decided to start separating them at night to make sure each ate his or her own diet. Over the next several months Ranchipur did start to lose weight but was still pretty heavy. On July 28, 2011, he started to give off that familiar smell that is associated with musth. Then the tell-tale signs occurred: he started dribbling urine and secreting a foul-smelling substance from the temporal glands on each side of his head. At this point it was all we could do to transfer him between his exhibit and the one next door for cleaning. His appetite decreased to nothing, and he basically stared at the girls all day.

One day we decided to put our African elephant, Tembo, next to him to see his reaction. Usually he is scared of her and runs away. On this day he did turn and run, but then he dashed back. The two of them sparred for awhile, and then Tembo left. Ranchi was no longer afraid of her; in fact, he was quite interested in her. Off and on for the next three months we would put Tembo next to him, and he was right there to see her, but she ignored him. On October 21, we noticed that he was no longer dribbling urine or secreting from his temporal glands. Could his musth be over? To make sure, we put Tembo next to him, and, as before, he turned and ran from her. What happens during musth must stay in musth, because he doesn’t remember a thing!

Ranchipur is slowly coming back into his normal routine, and we were able to get a weight on him. He had lost 490 kilograms from his last weight in June. That is almost 1,000 pounds! He now weighs just a bit over 11,000 pounds (500 kilograms), which is a nice weight for him.

Ron Ringer is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo. Read his previous post, Zoo Elephants: Queen Mary.

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24

Welcome, Elephants Connie and Shaba!

By
Nora Kigin
– March 29, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants

Shaba, left, and Connie get comfortable in San Diego.

Connie and Shaba came to us from the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, just about a month ago (see post Elephant Moves). Their new lives in San Diego started with one very long and exciting day: they were loaded into crates first thing in the morning, lifted onto a flatbed truck, and given a police escort all the way to the San Diego Zoo! On arrival, they were welcomed into our special-needs facility at the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey, where they will stay for the duration of their mandatory quarantine period.

The special-needs facility has everything we need to get these two amazing animals acclimated to living here and being a part of our herd. If you’ve never taken a tour of our facility, you may not know what we have inside the building at the Zoo’s Conrad Prebys Elephant Care Center. There is a large stall with cushioned flooring big enough for double occupancy. This is where we do our training sessions. There are mesh training walls, hanging toys and feeders, and a chute for more up-close health inspections. The special-needs facility also has its own yard, separate from the other elephant yards, where Connie and Shaba can get sun, dirt, mud, fresh air, and some downtime when they aren’t working with keepers. We are excited for the day we can let them into our bigger yards and watch them explore, but in the meantime, we are keeping them pretty busy!

Connie, 45, and Shaba, 32, spent their first day here relaxing, eating, and checking out their new space. We wanted to give them some time to get used to the idea that some big changes had happened. We were fortunate that Bruce and Gale, keepers who have worked with Connie and Shaba for decades, made the journey with them and stayed to help with the transition.

On day two, we started some very basic training sessions. Connie and Shaba were trained in a similar manner at Reid Park. However, some of the words we use are a little different, so basically they are being taught a new dialect. We teach them the new vocabulary the same way we train any behavior with any of our animals, using positive reinforcement. It’s kind of like a game of hot and cold with encouraging words and targets to help them understand what we are asking them to do, and a whistle and reward (usually a treat) when they get it right. With repetition and consistency, it doesn’t take long for an elephant to figure out exactly what we want; they are incredibly intelligent.

One very important part of training is developing a trusting relationship between keeper and elephant. We are working on this by slowly introducing Connie and Shaba to our staff. While in quarantine, they will have four consistent keepers: Ann, Scott, Jane, and me. When quarantine is over, each of the other keepers will be introduced to Connie and Shaba over a period of time. Connie, especially, needs time to get used to new people. We’ll use her behavior as a guide for how quickly or slowly we make changes to her environment. For now, we do training sessions throughout the day and focus on keeping both of them stimulated, healthy, and comfortable in their new situation.

Shaba was quick to catch on to our foot scrub routine. She presents all four feet through the foot hole of our training wall and allows us to scrub her feet, file her nails, and trim the pads of her feet. For the first couple of days Shaba was hesitant to be separated from Connie during individual training sessions or health checkups and reacted every time we opened or closed a door. Now she seems eager to come in for her individual training sessions and stands calmly, stationed with a keeper, as doors open and close around her. Shaba has learned to trust us, and her new environment, a great deal. Our goal is to get her even more comfortable with being touched so we can do a full physical exam, including letting our vets getting a little “up close and personal.” That will take some time, but she is showing so much potential.

Connie takes a little more time to warm up to new keepers. She has a history of being very choosy about whom she will cooperate with, but once she does, she has bonded closely. Thus, we are going at her pace. She may not have presented her foot the first day like Shaba did, but she is willing to do a little more every day, and we love that. Connie is very comfortable in the chute. She’s allowing the door to be closed and has been offering all four feet for scrubs. She has also started presenting a foot through the training wall for some toenail filing. We’re keeping her sessions short and sweet, and she’s rewarding us with some good work. Training is all about give and take.

When they’re not in a training session, Connie and Shaba get access to both their stall and yard. They have hanging feeders, pellet toys, and a huge dirt pile for digging and dusting. They both enjoy their toys. Shaba will balance a pellet ball on her tusks and gently shake it with her trunk to get the treats out. Connie will demolish any cardboard toy and devour the treats inside almost before you can blink!

Both of our newest elephants have been so much fun to get to know. We are looking forward to the day all of our guests can meet them and enjoy them as well. Until then, keep checking the blog! We’ll do our best to keep you up to date.

Nora Kigin is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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158

Elephant Moves

By
Jeff Andrews
– March 7, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Conservation, Conservation at the Zoo, Elephants, Uncategorized

Elephants Connie (in front) and Shaba at their new home at the San Diego Zoo.

Many people have been asking why we conducted such a large-scale, multi-zoo, multi-elephant transfer. It is an appropriate question. This operation has been in planning for several years. It begins with the original rescue of the elephant herd from a scheduled cull in Swaziland back in 2003. Our plan was to prevent the elephants from being killed, to protect the land and help other species by removing the elephants, and to improve the reproductive potential of African elephants in North American zoos. We succeeded in all three.

When the African elephant breeding program at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park started becoming successful, we began to consider how to best manage a growing population. We wanted to maintain female calves with their mothers for life and male calves until adolescence; this is natural in the wild, but not the norm in zoo populations. Typically in the wild, if a herd becomes too numerous it will split down matrilineal lines, and new bulls will sire future offspring. To do the same, we needed to identify a zoo that could be the recipient of roughly half of our herd’s females, their offspring, and the most appropriate bull. This facility needed to have a state-of-the-art facility, well-trained staff, appropriate climate, management program that mirrored the one our elephants were already used to, and be relatively close to San Diego. The Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona, worked very hard over several years to meet those criteria.

We chose to send to Reid Park a breeding group of elephants to their brand-new elephant facility and receive from them their two elephants, Connie and Shaba, into our Elephant Odyssey facility at the San Diego Zoo, where we specialize in caring for older elephants.
The selection of the best animals to send to the Reid Park Zoo was very difficult, and not just because of the close relationship we have developed with all of them. The decision had to balance various factors: who created the best social group in Tucson and in San Diego, what demographic and genetic factors were most important, and who are the best trained elephants in the herd. In the end, the decision was made to send Mabu, Lungile, Litsemba and her two calves, five-year-old Impunga and one-year-old Tsandzikle (Sundzu). This move was made in the best interest of the individual elephants and for the species as a whole.

Now that the transfer is complete, we hope that more African elephant calves will be born at both facilities combined than would have been born at just the San Diego Zoo Safari Park if the move hadn’t occurred. All of this effort is, of course, simply to ensure the survival of this amazing species.

Jeff Andrews is an associate curator of mammals for San Diego Zoo Global. Read his previous post, How Far Do Elephants Walk in One Day?

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80

Elephants Mabu, Lungile in Arizona

By
Christina Simmons
– February 27, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants, Uncategorized

Mabu and Lugile explore their new home.

It’s a cool and windy day here in Tucson, Arizona, and I am sitting under a tree watching our two African elephants, Mabu and Lungile, as they explore part of their new habitat. The pair arrived here from the San Diego Zoo Safari Park on February 24. They seem to be enjoying the lush grass, the space, the desert smells on the wind, and all of the brand new nooks and crannies to explore.

The Reid Park Zoo's new elephant habitat

The facilities here at the Reid Park Zoo are beautiful, with a couple of acres of outside space, air-conditioned shelters and barns, and a huge pool for elephant play. Everyone here in Tucson seems really excited to be welcoming our elephants to the exhibit they have worked on building for the last couple of years. I have no doubt that Mabu and Lungile will be stars here in Arizona just as they were in California!

Christina Simmons is the public relations manager for San Diego Zoo Global.

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4

Conservation in Cameroon

By
Bethan Morgan
– February 17, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Apes and Monkeys, Conservation, Elephants, Projects in the Field

The mountains of the Ebo forest peek behind Iboti village.

Cameroon is a relatively densely populated Central Africa country, and much of its original forest has long since been converted into farmland—vast commercial plantations of bananas, rubber, palm oil, or logging concessions. I first came to work in Cameroon in 2002, after spending two years in a remote coastal rain forest in Gabon, miles away from any human settlement. Here I encountered large, wild animals on a daily basis, and often in very close proximity (I even had to construct a rope fence around my tent to deter inquisitive forest elephants). But Cameroon is a different kettle of fish, with far more pressure on the land, and I soon realized that even finding a good field site to study my target species was going to be a challenge.

Bethan and Ekwoge Abwe cross the Dibamba river in the dry season.

I spent weeks, and then months, scouring Cameroon forests for indications of drills–-large, elusive primates with colorful faces and large social groups. But more often than not, I just encountered more signs of human presence. The “empty-forest syndrome” was very disheartening. Many species were locally extinct, and the forest itself cannot survive without animals dispersing the seeds of hundreds of plant species. The entire rain forest system is a complex web of interdependencies that we humans are only slowly beginning to understand.

But then, while spending two weeks in a relatively unknown area called the Ebo forest with a local hunter, Jonas, I found what I had been looking for. After a night disturbed by several thunderstorms and flooded tents, we were awakened by the distinct sound of hollow, low-frequency beating noises on the other side of the river valley. The previous days had been spent finding indisputable evidence of drills in the area (footprints, turned logs, and smashed crabs), and we had heard chimpanzees distinctly on several occasions. I knew that this beating noise indicated the presence of something even more special-–gorillas.

After an hour scrambling up the other side of the valley, we eventually came across the gorillas. We spent an hour quietly watching a group of 11 individuals, until the large male silverback noticed our presence and made it patently clear that he wanted his family to be left alone by charging us noisily. We moved away slowly and left them to continue eating. But I had hit the field-site jackpot!

This two-week exploration led to the establishment of our two research stations in the forest, permanently manned by trained local ex-hunters, including Jonas, who now revel in the pride that comes with knowing that their forest is exceptional not only within Cameroon but within Africa.

The spectacular gray-necked rockfowl (Picathartes oreas) in the Ebo forest.

Now well established, the Ebo Forest Research Project is garnering interest from a broad range of scientists. Ebo is home to an amazing scope of creatures like Goliath frogs, the largest in the world, dwarf crocodiles, chameleons, the incredible rockfowl, which build clay nests against rocky overhangs, crowned eagles and hornbills, forest elephants (we are currently conducting our fourth annual forest-wide elephant survey), a myriad of monkey species, and the two great ape species, gorillas and chimpanzees. The Ebo gorillas are unique in being a “halfway house” between two different gorilla subspecies, while the Ebo chimpanzees are among the healthiest populations of these species remaining anywhere.

A yellow-bellied wattle-eye (Platysteira concreta) in the Ebo forest.

My role has slowly changed over the years from physically leading all the forest research work to training, supporting, and assisting our wonderful national staff to do this work, including maintaining a higher-education program. This “capacity building” of national staff is the only sustainable, long-term approach to conservation. Our program goals are to encourage local people to conduct research, as well as to work with the local communities, traditional authorities, and government to develop the Ebo National Park.

I still relish spending time in the forest, and I am still struck by the wonder of such a complex environment that we humans can barely understand. From the flowering of a tree species new to science (and of unknown benefit to humankind) to an army ant attack on our tents (terrifying but awesome!) to watching a gorilla family peacefully enjoying a morning snack, I think that conserving places like the Ebo forest should be a priority for all of us. We have much to learn from these few remaining wilderness places and their inhabitants.

Bethan Morgan is head of the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research’s Central Africa Program. Read her previous post, Elephant Survey: Frogs and Primates.

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17

Saying Goodbye to Cha Cha and Cookie

By
Lindsey Kraal
– January 17, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants, Uncategorized

Cha Cha

We would like to thank everyone for your well wishes and support. These past two weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for us. Losing one of our elephants is similar to losing a family member. Cha Cha and Cookie will be remembered and missed every day.

For many of you, you’ll remember Cha Cha from her days at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Cha Cha’s always-sweet demeanor was apparent, even from a seat in the stands. For the keepers, Cha Cha was always a joy to work with. She was extremely social with all of us and enjoyed her one-on-one time above all. On a regular basis, Cha Cha would choose affection over food for her reward. She loved to have her tongue scratched and to smell our breath.

In recent times, Cha Cha made friends with Sumithi and Devi. The girls would hang out in the large yard at the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey, eating and socializing, with an occasional swim in the pool. Cha Cha would even use Sumithi as a scratching post! Cha Cha’s best buddy was the least likely one in the herd, Ranchipur. The two of them would walk around the yard together, never too far apart. Both would share their food, and Ranchipur would even eat the food Cha Cha tossed on her back. Despite her smaller size, Cha Cha was able to push Ranchipur around, and he, being the easygoing guy that he is, allowed it.

Not too long ago, a guest’s straw hat was blown into the elephant yard; elephants being elephants, the hat was only likely to return in 24 to 48 hours, if you know what I mean, looking and smelling a bit worse! Luckily, Cha Cha was the one in the yard at the time. One of her long-time keepers simply asked her to “pick it up” (a behavior that all of the females know). Cha Cha then crossed the yard, picked up the hat, and brought it over. The guest got the whole thing on film.

Those of us who were lucky enough to meet her will always remember Cha Cha’s sweet disposition and her silly eccentricities. She was definitely a character!

Cookie

Cookie also hailed from the Safari park. She seemed to really enjoy the “fun” behaviors that we asked of her. She loved catching flying celery in the air and would perk her ears forward when we would ask her questions, to which she would respond with a head shaking “no” or an enthusiastic “yes.” Cookie loved her ears scratched and, strangely enough, really enjoyed the roof of her mouth scratched. On warm afternoons, Cookie could be seen napping in the warm sun. She frequently came over to her keepers for scratches and attention, and if we got the right spot, she would start squeaking in excitement.

Cookie’s silly personality could especially be seen when she was with her longtime best friend, Mary. When the two of them would be reunited after being separated (even if it was only for 15 minutes), both would make rumbling noises, happy squeaks, and flap their ears, as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages! During training sessions, Cookie was always a willing participant. She enjoyed learning new things and was a very quick study. When faced with a situation she was unsure about, Cookie would look to her keepers for reassurance, and after receiving encouraging words, she would then continue to give it her best shot.

Cookie loved affection but really loved her food. A simple pellet toy (a very sturdy, or disposable plastic toy with holes drilled in it to allow alfalfa pellets to fall out) could entertain her for hours. She also loved digging in fresh dirt piles, trying to find the buried treats. Some of the most memorable times with Cookie were during swim sessions in the pool at the Safari Park. Cookie and Mary would go in together, dunk their heads under water, and play like little kids do in the pool during summer. They both were always very vocal and would squeak and rumble the whole time. After their swim time, each would enthusiastically cover her whole body with fresh dirt. Sometimes Mary would plop down on a fresh pile of dirt for a short nap in the sun. Cookie would always stand over her, watching over her buddy.

At 56 years old, Cookie had seen it all! She probably would have called us “Kid” or “Junior” if she could have. She was a great teacher and truly showed us how intelligent elephants really are. Cookie’s quirky personality and wonderful “happy” noises will be forever missed. She really was a true gem.

Mary has been doing very well since Cookie’s death and getting extra attention from the keepers. She is spending her time with Tembo, Sumithi, and Devi and seems to be acclimating.

Lindsey Kraal is a keeper at the San Diego Zoo.

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2

Elephants: The Ebb and Flow of Thirsty Giants

By
Michael Chase
– January 17, 2012Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Conservation, Elephants, Projects in the Field, Uncategorized

One of my favorite places in Botswana is the Savuti Channel, located in the heart of Chobe National Park, not only because of its unpredictable water flow, but because it is an intermittent elephant refuge. I first visited the Savuti when I was eight years old, while on safari with my parents. Back then, the river sparkled, teeming with catfish, huge crocodiles, and pods of territorial hippos. The river provided cool relief for the wildlife, while the Savuti Marsh provided fields of life-giving grasses for ungulates. I was most impressed by the large herds of elephants, buffalo, zebras, and wildebeest blithely making their way through another day, while predators waited patiently, hiding among the thick shrubs along the marsh. We were camping in a safari paradise.

While at boarding school, I read that in 1982 the Savuti Channel was dry! I did not understand then that for the past 170 years, the Savuti River had an erratic, unpredictable flow. Today, the reasons that result from this unpredictable ebb and flow still remain unclear, and scientists have suggested that tectonic rather than hydrological factors may be at the root of this phenomenon. Where would the elephants go during these dry spells? Much of the wildlife moved on to “greener pastures,” and soon the area became a paradise lost. The stark pictures in magazine articles of the secretive works of nature convinced me that I needed to investigate this ancient mystery. I returned in 2001, this time for the meaningful purpose of pursuing my doctorate in elephant ecology.

Family groups of elephants were gone, only visiting the Savuti on their 100-mile treks to the Kwando River on the Namibian border. However, large elephant bulls had made the Savuti their safe haven, seeking refuge at the artificial waterholes the Botswana government had sunk into the parched landscape to provide water for wildlife. The intense smell of fresh, deep water brought up from deep below the Kalahari sand proved to be too tempting for the thirsty giants, which wandered into unsafe territories surrounding Chobe. Savuti became world renowned for its massive, old bulls, which became tolerant of pachyderm fans seeking to see these lords of the African savanna in close proximity.

Finally, in 2008, water unexpectedly began to appear in the Savuti Channel. The following year, there was much excitement and anticipation on how far the water would flow. Many people, including myself, made journeys specifically to see just how far the water would flow. By 2010, the Savuti River was a flowing river, spilling its waters onto the Savuti Marsh after a 28-year dry spell!

Mike attaches a radio collar to track an African elephant's movements.

Fortunately for me, the timing of this flood was perfect, as I had recently secured funds and permission to conduct an aerial survey to count elephants and other large herbivores throughout northern Botswana. I was amazed to see that the Savuti had been rejuvenated. Massive numbers of elephants amassed on the marsh. Buffalo had returned after many years of absence. I realized then that my understanding of elephant ecology had to span longer than my brief five-year doctorate study. Nearly 30 years after my first camping trip in Savuti, I deployed two satellite collars on adult elephant cows and one on a bull to better reveal the movements of elephants in this dynamic environment. I might have to wait another few decades to see where they move to when the Savuti decides to dry up again. But then, at least, one of the secrets of the Savuti’s inhabitants will be revealed.

Michael Chase is the Henderson Endowed Postdoctoral Fellow for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research and the director of Elephants Without Borders.

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191

Elephant Aunts Care for Calves

By
admin
– November 22, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants, Uncategorized

Kami, left, and Emanti

Four-year-old Kami and her 18-month-old brother, Emanti, are interacting with the rest of the African elephant herd at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. The siblings continue to be cared for by the other females, or “aunts,” in the herd following the death of their mother, Umoya, on November 17 (see post Loss to Elephant Family). Keepers report that the two youngsters seem to be fine. Click on the link below to view Kami and Emanti with the herd.

Elephant Calves Update video

Kami has a close relationship with the other female calf in the herd, Khosi, and the two girls like to “babysit” the other elephant calves. It is very common to see Kami and Khosi together or with Umngani, who is Khosi’s mother. Umngani can often be seen surrounded by her own three calves as well as having Kami and Emanti in tow.

The siblings are continuing to grow and gain weight, and Emanti appears to have hit a growth spurt: he has gained 88 pounds in the last four days! Kami and Emanti’s diet consists of three types of hay (Bermuda, Sudan, and alfalfa) and the alfalfa-based “herbivore supplement” pellets with added minerals and vitamins that are fed to the elephants during training sessions. They are also given leafy branches of acacia and ficus to munch on each day.

Emanti and Kami’s growth and close interactions with the herd have demonstrated that, as expected, the herd is taking care of these calves as one of their own.

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124

Loss to Elephant Family

By
Yadira Galindo
– November 17, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants, Uncategorized

Umoya with her son, Emanti, last year.

Today the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and its African elephant herd are mourning the death of the spirited Umoya. As the mother of two calves, Phakamile and Emanti, she will be missed not only by these two but by the entire herd and the keepers who have worked so closely with her since she arrived at the Park in 2003.

Moya, as we called her, was 21 years old. She was born in Kruger National Park and was one of the original seven African elephants rescued from Swaziland from being culled because of an elephant overpopulation. She could often be seen walking backward in the exhibit, making her quick to identify among the females. Moya enjoyed training sessions with the keepers and was a very quick learner. Most importantly, she was a good mother.

Phakamile, or Kami for short, was born in 2007. Moya immediately cared for her first calf, keeping her close and making sure she grew healthy and strong. In 2010, Moya gave birth to Emanti, a male who is now 18 months old and just at the weaning stage. He will surely miss the caring reach of his mother’s trunk and her protective instincts, but he will have his big sister by his side. Kami has always been a good sister and even a good cousin, reaching out to all the younger calves.

Because the elephants live a natural herd structure, we believe their social interactions will keep Emanti and Kami safe and cared for. Their “aunties”—the other adult females—have always been known to care for each other’s calves, even encircling the calves when they think there is a problem. Some calves have even been seen nursing from their lactating aunts. Emanti should no longer need his mother’s milk. He has been eating solids for quite some time, and if this morning was any indication, he should progress well among the social unit that is the Park’s African elephant herd.

As they do in the wild, the herd was offered an opportunity to mourn Moya. The elephants came to see Moya after she died—some touched her with their trunks and others simply stood by her. By her side were Kami and Emanti, but once the others began to walk away, the two youngsters followed their aunts to an adjoining yard.

Animal care staff discovered Umoya lying down with injuries when they arrived at the Safari Park early Thursday morning. The injuries indicated there might have been an aggressive interaction with another elephant. We thank you in advance for all your well wishes and know that you, too, will feel this loss.

Yadira Galindo is a senior public relations specialist for San Diego Zoo Global. Read her previous post, Valentine’s Day, Mammoth Style.

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11

Park Elephant Calves Update

By
Debbie Andreen
– November 15, 2011Posted in: Animal Stories, Animals and Plants, Elephants, Uncategorized

Baby with two of his family members

Our elephant keepers are a busy lot, but Animal Care Manager Curtis Lehman graciously took some time to fill me in on the Safari Park’s growing African elephant herd.

The newest cutie, I mean calf, is doing great! He now weighs 340 pounds (154 kilograms), nurses throughout the day, and is mouthing food items in preparation for when those handy teeth come in (usually at about three to four months of age). Baby has not received a name yet, but that’s not a problem with the herd. The little guy has quite the social life, as all the calves like to play with him. And he always has a sibling or two to keep him company as well. Big sister Khosi and half sister Kami both dote on him and like to keep him close; big brother Ingadze doesn’t seem to mind having a baby brother, and Curtis says he never noticed any jealousy on Ingadze’s part when Baby arrived on the scene. Khosi and Ingadze do such a good job of keeping an eye out for Baby that mom Umngani is probably the most rested of any of our elephant moms!

One talent Baby has displayed is vocalizing, screaming quite loudly (it sounds like a lion’s roar!) if he accidently gets too far from Mom or gets pushed around by Swazi. “It’s amazing how loud the calves can roar whenever they’re upset about something,” Curtis says. “You can hear them from the other yard. We get desensitized to the roar, like most of the mom’s do, and we can discriminate between the ‘serious’ calls and the ‘not so serious’ ones. Sundzu can also roar quite loudly, just like his older brother Impunga used to do.”

Speaking of Sundzu, Curtis says he is the most keeper oriented of the calves, although they all seem to enjoy the attention the keepers provide. Keepers work with the calves to teach them basic husbandry commands, such as lifting up a foot when asked or leaning the sides of their bodies in for an inspection. Of all the calves, Macembe, or “Mac,” has been the training star. As the son of the herd leader, Swazi, he is naturally fearless and independent—nothing seems to bother him, and for him, training is just a fun way to get more treats! At the other end of the spectrum is Luti, who is cautious of anything new or unusual.

One quickly gets the feeling that things are never dull at the Safari Park’s elephant habitat!

Debbie Andreen is an associate editor and blog moderator for San Diego Zoo Global. Read her previous post, Bai Yun: 20th Birthday.

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