The Conrad Prebys Polar Bear Plunge at the San Diego Zoo has been a really noisy place during the past few weeks. Yes, lots of construction, but mostly the noise is coming from the questioning. . . is she? We’re talking about the hoped-for pregnancy of Chinook! We still don’t know…for sure. That said, Chinook has gained over 20 percent of her normal body weight and has now slipped into the most calm, contented, beautiful mood we have ever seen in her 14, now almost 15, years. The most activity she shows is munching on her carrots while glancing over at the silly antics of Kalluk and Tatqiq and slowly dipping into the plunge pool to luxuriate and soak.
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Have you ever remodeled your house? The construction noise and dust seem to go on forever. In the end, it’s all worth it! That is what San Diego Zoo polar bears Chinook, Kalluk, Tatqiq, as well as their keepers have been living with for what seems like months. But we’re getting through it fabulously! Although Kalluk wasn’t sure about it at first, he has now been promoted to construction supervisor and can often be seen watching the work in the new management yard while soaking his paws in the drinker on what we call reindeer ridge.
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Good question! First, the construction is done. The new management yard has only the aesthetic details to be done: topsoil, planting, logs, etc. Most of this will be done over the next few weeks as time permits or if/when Chinook decides she no longer needs to venture anywhere but her den.
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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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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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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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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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Life in the troop has certainly had an incredible impact on little Frank’s social development, but even more impressive is the impact it has had on Frank’s family. Back when Frank was born and we realized we were going to have to intervene at some level, we had many candid discussions about how best to raise this kid, without hampering his true “gorilla skills.”
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The San Diego Zoo is very excited to announce the birth of one of the more unusual creatures in its collection: an okapi. On June 10, 2009, Safarani gave birth to her third offspring, a baby boy. At a month old, Sekele (meaning “secret”) is already weighing in at about 100 pounds (45 kilograms). An old pro at motherhood, Safarani is taking wonderful care of her young one. After nearly a month of being held in the “maternity yard,” mother and child have recently been introduced to their exhibit in the Zoo’s Lost Forest zone.
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The okapi barn at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park has been a bustling place of late. Our training program has been coming along beautifully; we can now perform a variety of husbandry procedures with the okapis without anesthesia. We can take temperatures, lift and examine feet, perform ultrasounds, and undertake many other procedures designed to help us care for these very special animals. We have even drawn blood from two okapis with their cooperation!
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