2024-06-18 - Houston, United States. Houston Zoo
Tess, a 40-year-old Asian elephant at Houston Zoo, has been given the first-ever dose of an mRNA vaccine created by virologists at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) to prevent the deadly elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV) 1A—a devastating viral disease in Asian elephants worldwide. Over the next few weeks, animal care experts and veterinary staff at Houston Zoo will closely monitor Tess to learn how effective this vaccine is for elephants.
2024-03-15 - , United States.
After weeks of voting and thousands of submissions, the Toledo Zoo has officially chosen the name of their precious baby elephant and we're personally thrilled about the news! Ladies and gentleman, Kirk has officially entered the conversation! I can still remember when Kirk's mom, Renee, was pregnant with him, so even though I live nowhere near the zoo. Back in January, the Toledo Zoo gave a 20-month update of Renee's pregnancy as she was in the final stages of the process.
2024-03-09 - Tucson, United States.
A baby elephant was born at Reid Park Zoo. The zoo said Semba, the facility’s African elephant matriarch, gave birth to a 265-pound calf around 3:31 a.m. Friday, March 8. Reid Park Zoo said the calf, whose sex has not yet been determined, is standing, sticking close to mom, and nursing enthusiastically. The calf is the third born at Reid Park Zoo. The calf joins Semba, big sisters Nandi and Penzi, and allomother Lungile.
2024-02-15 - Pittsburgh, United States.
The zoo said Tsuni died Thursday after a sudden, brief battle with elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Her EEHV was detected through routine blood testing on Feb. 8, even though she presented no visible clinical signs. The other adult elephants in the ICC herd have sufficiently built up EEHV antibodies as they have aged, so they are at low risk to this disease, the zoo said.
2024-01-11 - New York, United States.
In a narrow but sprawling curatorial space at the uptown museum, The Secret World of Elephants, now opened, tells the story of elephant species and their relatives through life-size models, videos, graphics, and more, a comprehensive look at these intriguing and important animals and the latest scientific thinking about their abilities, environmental roles, social structure, history and future
2024-01-04 - Los Angeles, United States.
The Los Angeles Zoo is grieving the death of 53-year-old Asian elephant Shaunzi. Zoo staff observed that Shaunzi was unable to stand up in her exhibit at around 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday night, according to a statement from the LA Zoo. Zoo veterinarians worked throughout the night to get her back on her feet, but found no success. Shaunzi was sedated and euthanized early Wednesday morning.
2023-12-16 - , United States.
For the first time in seven years, an African elephant calf was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! This is Nadirah’s first calf, making this birth extra special because Nadirah herself was born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2005, making her the first second-generation calf. Since this is Nadirah’s first birth, her sister Luna was there to guide and comfort her throughout the process. The calf will soon get to meet her grandma, Donna, and her other aunt, Stella, too.
2023-11-21 - Baltimore, United States.
Thanks to early detection and intensive therapy, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, Md., announced that its 15-year-old African bull elephant, Samson, has survived an episode of a strain of the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV6). Samson survived a different strain of the same virus (EEHV3b) when he was five-years-old. He was the first elephant to be clinically diagnosed with the strain at the time.
2023-11-10 - , United States.
Donna, an Asian elephant at the Saint Louis Zoo, was euthanized Thursday morning after her health saw a rapid decline, the zoo announced. She was 52. Donna was born in the wild and arrived at the zoo in 1971. She was diagnosed in October with primary hyperparathyroidism, caused by a tumor that secretes a hormone that controls the level of calcium in her body. Her tumor grew and medication used to treat it became less effective.
2023-11-08 - Cincinnati, United States.
Four Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), two adult females and their young male calves, arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden on Sunday, November 5. The new elephants, SheRa, Kabir, Anak, and Sanjay, came from the Dublin Zoo on a joint recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan® (SSP) and its equivalent in the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA)
2023-10-25 - Hohenwald, United States.
The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee announces the passing of African elephant Jana at the age of 43. Jana was The Sanctuary’s 31st resident. In recent weeks, Jana's declining health and reduced mobility led to multiple falls, severely impacting her quality of life. Due to the irreversible progression of these health issues, her inability to stand on her own, and the escalating pain she experienced, the difficult decision was made, and Jana was humanely euthanized on October 20, 2023.
2023-10-02 - Fort Worth, United States.
The Elephant Managers Association (EMA) is proud to announce the dates for our 44th annual conference, hosted by both the Fort Worth Zoo and Dallas Zoo on October 2 to 5, 2023. The conference will include a trip to both zoos, behind-the-scenes demonstrations at both facilities, two days packed with presentations, a banquet and silent auction, and a post-conference trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.
2023-08-26 - Omaha, United States.
The baby elephant at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo officially has a name; Amandra. Pronounced “ah-MON-dra,” the name means “strong woman.” The zoo said it was chosen by a donor and their family. Amandra, born to Jayei, joins Eugenia, Sonny, and Mopani as the fourth elephant calf at the Henry Doorly Zoo. A fifth elephant calf is due to be born at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Spring 2024.
2023-08-14 - Fresno, United States.
The Fresno Chaffee Zoo celebrated World Elephant Day with a big announcement. Zoo officials say their female African Elephants are pregnant. They are expected to give birth between September and October 2024. The facilities care team will monitor the expectant mothers and prepare for the calves' arrival.
2023-05-18 - , United States.
Callee, a 22-year-old male who has been at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium since 2019, will be moved to the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, the Omaha zoo announced on Thursday. Callee's move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' African Elephant Species Survival Plan, according to a press release from the zoo. He is expected to be moved this spring and the zoo is currently working to prepare him for transport and coordinate travel arrangements.
2023-05-09 - Dallas, United States.
The Dallas Zoo made the heartbreaking announcement Tuesday that one of its elephants has died. The 7-year-old African elephant, Ajabu, passed away Monday after a 12-day battle with a viral infection, according to the zoo. The infection is known as elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Ajabu survived a previous infection with EEHV in March 2021. The zoo says that the often-lethal disease is most often found in Asian elephants, but it has begun to show up more in African elephants.
2023-05-03 - , United States. Michael D. Cherney, Daniel C. Fisher, Richard J. Auchus, Adam N. Rountrey, Perrin Selcer, Ethan A. Shirley, Scott G. Beld, Bernard Buigues, Dick Mol, Gennady G. Boeskorov, Sergey L. Vartanyan & Alexei N. Tikhonov
2023-03-27 - Oakland, United States.
The Oakland Zoo euthanized its 46-year-old African elephant Lisa on March 26, 2023, due to years of health problems. The elephant was afflicted by eye ulcers, arthritis, foot and nail lesions, and more recently, ventral edema, which involved fluid retention leading to vaginal ulcers. She had begun receiving stem cell therapy in November to help with her arthritis. Lisa was one of only 16 female African Elephants 46 years and older in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoos.
2023-03-18 - Dallas, United States.
This little boy is almost three weeks old, and he has a NAME! Meet... Okubili! His name means "two" or "duplicate" in Zulu, and we think it's perfect for this little one because he is a carbon copy of second-time mom, Mlilo.
2023-03-08 - Dallas, United States.
In a historic birth, the Dallas Zoo welcomed a baby elephant to the family late last month, the zoo announced Wednesday. At 290 pounds, the male calf was born Feb. 26 at 2:27 a.m. to one of the zoo’s African elephants, Mlilo — a second-time mom. Both Mlilo and the calf will “stay behind the scenes still for several weeks,” the zoo said, so the best place to see him, for now, will be on social media, where the zoo plans to announce his name next week.
2023-02-27 - Sequim, United States.
Using 21st century technology to peer into mankind’s history dating back nearly 14,000 years, a team led by a Texas A&M professor has confirmed what researchers believe is the oldest weapon made of bone ever found in the Americas. And, as many Sequim natives recall, evidence for this research was found by accident 4½ decades ago in Happy Valley.
2023-02-24 - Fort Worth, United States.
It’s official, baby Brazos has a brother from another mother as of 2 a.m. on February 23. This healthy 37-inch-tall, 270-pound male Asian elephant calf is the fifth calf born at the Fort Worth Zoo, following the arrival of half-brother Brazos born in 2021, Belle, his mother, in 2013, Bowie in 2013 (Bowie now resides at the Oklahoma City Zoo), and aunt, Bluebonnet, in 1998.
2023-02-16 - , United States.
The upcoming animated feature film, set to premiere globally March 17, is directed by Wendy Rogers. To uncover the answer, the young boy must find both a mysterious elephant — currently in the hands of nobility though seeking to be reunited with her own family — as well as the magician (Wong) able to conjure it. “This elephant will lead me to my sister,” Peter can be heard saying in the trailer. “I must ask you to give her to me.”
2023-02-15 - Miami, United States.
Zoo Miami currently has a full time Zoo Keeper 2 position available with the Elephant team. We are searching for a team-oriented candidate that will be engaging and deliver exceptional customer service by creating friendly and positive interactions with all guests and co-workers. This position reports directly to the Animal Care Coordinator of Elephants. This team works with both Asian Elephants and African Elephants.
2023-02-14 - Myakka City, United States.
Proposed development in East Manatee County could lead to changes at the Myakka Elephant Ranch in Myakka City. Julia Braren said every piece of land is precious in Myakka City. The Myakka Elephant Ranch is home to endangered species of elephants. It also educates guests on conservation efforts. A developer wants to build nearly 5,000 homes and rezone agricultural land. The proposed development would also add new roads.
2023-02-09 - Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is looking to fill an Animal Keeper Associate position on the Elephant team. You will work closely with a team of keepers to perform daily care of the collection following established guidelines. This is a full-time, hourly position, reporting to the Zoological Managers. This position is with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., which is part of a business we call Walt Disney World Resort.
2022-11-29 - Syracuse, United States. CNYCentral
The Onondaga County Executive Office has announced details of a naming competition for the rare twin elephants born earlier this year. Members of the community are encouraged to vote on names for the elephants from now until 6:30 P.M. on Thursday, December 1st for their favorite names and the winners will be announced at a subsequent event.
2022-10-17 - Albuquerque, United States.
Zoo veterinary staff have known for years that Irene suffers from lens luxation, a condition in which the lens in the eye is dislocated from its normal position, causing discomfort and blurry vision, Dr. Carol Bradford, the zoo’s senior veterinarian said Monday. However, more recent complications may cause Irene to lose her eye completely.
2022-08-12 - Grand Rapids, United States.
Several people are working to unearth mastodon bones in a West Michigan field after they were discovered during a road construction project. The bones are expected to be donated to the Grand Rapids Public Museum.
2022-04-25 - San Diego, United States.
On 24th April, 17 years ago, a 25-year-old man named Jawed Karim posted the first-ever video on YouTube, launching a service that has since grown to become the go-to hub for video streaming. The low-res, 19-second short video, titled Me at the Zoo, shows YouTube co-founder Karim touring the San Diego Zoo, pointing out elephants’ unusually long trunks. The elephant video has been viewed over 228 million times and has garnered over 11 million comments as of April 2022.
2022-04-16 - Austin, United States.
Austin, Texas-based activist filmmaker Kate Kirby’s documentary explores the relationship between a mahout and the 60-year-old elephant he tends at a Laotian elephant conservation center.
2022-03-22 - Washington, United States.
As genetics reveals how various ivory shipments are connected, the world is learning how organized and extensive the ivory smuggling network really is. A study suggests that poachers credited to three international crime groups likely returned to the same elephant family again and again, then repeatedly used the same shipping company to smuggle the elephant tusks. Testing more than 4,000 elephant tusks from 49 large ivory seizures that were shipped out of Africa between 2002 to 2019 revealed tha...
2022-03-16 - Monroe, United States. Ian Robinson
The longtime caretaker and friend of Shirley the Elephant at the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, Solomon James, has died. He died on March 9. He was 69. Perhaps best known as the primary keeper and caregiver for Shirley the Elephant, zoo officials remember James as being an affable zookeeper who had just as big impact on the community as the elephant he loved and cared for.
2022-03-12 - San Antonio, United States.
The San Antonio Zoo announced the death of one of their Asian elephants, Karen, Wednesday afternoon. Karen passed away this afternoon while under the loving care and comfort of her veterinarians and animal care staff. Karen came to San Antonio Zoo in 2016 to join Nicole and Lucky, forming what was lovingly known as “The Golden Girls.” She was 52 years old, outliving the average lifespan of an Asian elephant which is 47.5 according to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums.
2022-03-11 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The longstanding partnership between the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden and the Oklahoma Blood Institute was newly solidified this week with the donation from OBI of a centrifuge to the zoo’s Joan Kirkpatrick Animal Hospital. The most immediate life-saving opportunities that this centrifuge can provide for the zoo are advancements in the research and treatment of EEHV, a persistent and deadly herpes virus affecting elephants worldwide, both wild and in captivity.
2022-03-02 - Powell, United States.
Frankie the baby elephant could be a lifesaver someday thanks to a project he jump-started the day he was born at the Columbus Zoo last summer. Tissues from Frankie's umbilical cord have been used to create Asian elephant stem cell lines at Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine and on a national scale at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance's Frozen Zoo.
2022-02-28 - New York, United States.
Habeas petitions are not often heard in court, which was only one reason that the case before New York Supreme Court Justice Alison Y. Tuitt—Nonhuman Rights Project v. James Breheny, et al.—was extraordinary. The subject of the petition was Happy, an Asian elephant in the Bronx Zoo. American law treats all animals as “things”—the same category as rocks or roller skates. However, if the Justice granted the habeas petition to move Happy from the zoo to a sanctuary, in the eyes of the law...
2022-01-31 - Omaha, United States.
Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is thrilled to announce Claire, a 13-year-old African elephant, gave birth to a male calf at 9:08 p.m. yesterday, January 30, 2022. Mom and calf are doing well. The weight of the calf is unknown at this time. The is the second African elephant calf born at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium this month, January 2022. These two calves are the first and only African elephants born at Omaha’s Zoo and Aquarium.
2021-12-25 - Albuquerque, United States.
Thorn, a three-year-old male elephant at the ABQ BioPark Zoo, died in the early morning hours on Christmas Day from elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). BioPark staff began treating Thorn immediately after traces of the virus were detected in a routine blood test on December 15. This virus causes hemorrhagic disease that can be fatal for young elephants. EEHV is the leading cause of death for Asian elephant calves and can strike elephants in the wild and in human care.
2021-12-23 - Hamilton, United States.
A new study examining ancient DNA from the Yukon is changing the timeline for when woolly mammoths and ancient horses roamed the continent. Tyler Murchie, a researcher at the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre in Hamilton, was the lead author on a new paper in the journal Nature on Dec. 8, with new evidence that suggests ancient horses and mammoths may have roamed the Yukon landscape up until 6,000 years ago.
2021-12-21 - Albuquerque, United States.
The ABQ BioPark continues to provide around the clock care and treatments for Thorn, our 3 year old elephant who recently tested positive for the Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). While the most recent daily test results indicate an escalation in the viral load his treatments continue and we remain hopeful and are confident that together we will have the best chance of helping Thorn through this illness.
2021-12-15 - Albuquerque, United States.
On Wednesday, December 15, a weekly routine blood tests for Thorn, the BioPark's 3.5-year-old Asian elephant, came back positive for a very low level of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). Out of an abundance of caution, the ABQ BioPark has begun round-the-clock care, including antiviral treatment and observation for symptoms. At this time, the BioPark's animal care team is monitoring his blood values daily.
2021-11-24 - Monterey, United States.
Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Institute (MBARI) have found and extracted mammoth tusks from a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi), deep in the ocean. According to MBARI, their team discovered 185 miles offshore and 10,000 feet deep in the seamount in 2019. They returned in July 2021 and brought the tusks to the surface. The deep-sea conservation environment for this specimen is different from most we’ve seen elsewhere,” said Daniel Fisher, a paleontologist at the University of M...
2021-11-22 - , United States.
Tim Frisco, an employee with Miller Equipment Company, leads a group of elephants down the ramp into Roberts Stadium while preparing for the 72nd annual Hadi Shrine Circus on Nov. 22, 2005
2021-11-22 - Alfred, York County, United States.
It's an interesting tale that starts with Hachaliah Bailey. Yup, that Bailey, as in the Barnum and Bailey circus. Bailey was a farmer in upstate New York when he bought an elephant for about $1,000. As the legend goes, Old Bet came to York County in July of 1816, where people ponied up the admission price to catch a glimpse. But, according to Historic Hudson Valley, a farmer named Daniel Davis reportedly was offended by the idea of taking money from poor people and decided to fatally shoot Old B...
2021-11-15 - Azle, United States.
It is with great disappointment that due to the continuing ongoing pandemic we will not be able to meet in person for this year’s International Elephant Conservation and Research Symposium. BUT we are planning a multi-day virtual symposium with presentations and opportunities for information sharing and discussion.
2021-09-23 - Attapulgus, United States.
It’s a big day for South Georgia. Bo, a 10,000-pound elephant moved into his new home thanks to Elephant Aid International and George Carden, the person giving Bo a new life. He's the owner of George Carden Circus and spent many years with Bo traveling the world. Bo is the first elephant to step foot on these 850-acres filled with trees and tall grass. It's also the only elephant refuge in South Georgia.
2021-09-09 - Attapulgus, United States.
Elephant Refuge North America, an 850-acre natural habitat located in Attapulgus, Georgia, plans to accept its first resident later this month. Bo, a 34-year-old male elephant, is being released by the George Carden Circus after 30 years of performing, Elephant Aid International says. He was born and raised captive in Florida his entire life, but will now enjoy wide open spaces for roaming and play for the rest of his days.
2021-08-13 - Topeka, United States.
Cora the elephant is improving after concerns over her health had the Topeka Zoo considering end-of-life options. Shanna Simpson, an animal curator at the zoo, said Cora wasn’t eating, had a lot of gas and wasn't moving as much as she used to. The zoo began giving her pain medication, two gallons of mineral oil a day and Gas-X.
2021-08-05 - Anchorage, United States.
Maggie, an African elephant that lived at the Alaska Zoo for 24 years, has died at a wildlife sanctuary in California. She was 41 years old. Maggie died at the Performing Animal Welfare Society wildlife sanctuary in San Andreas, where she lived for 13 years after being relocated there from Alaska. Alaska Zoo director Pat Lampi said in a statement that Maggie touched the lives of many Alaskans and people “all over the world.”
2021-07-31 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden’s dedicated animal and veterinary care teams have begun to treat its youngest Asian elephant, female Kairavi (Kai), 2, for elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), with antiviral medications. A low level of the EEHV1A virus was detected on Thursday, July 29, 2021, in Kai’s blood through routine testing. Despite this, Kai’s behavior and activity level are normal and she continues to show no clinical signs of illness, which are all positive sig...
2021-07-30 - Miami, United States.
In Battle for the Big Top, New York Times–bestselling author Les Standiford brings to life a remarkable era when three circus kings—James Bailey, P. T. Barnum, and John Ringling—all vied for control of the vastly profitable and influential American Circus. Ultimately, the rivalry of these three men resulted in the creation of an institution that would surpass all intentions and, for 147 years, hold a nation spellbound.
2021-07-28 - Pittsburgh, United States.
It’s a girl! An African elephant calf was born in the early morning hours of July 18th at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s International Conservation Center (ICC) in Somerset, PA. Both mother and baby are bonding and doing well. The healthy calf was born at just under three feet tall and weighed in at 218 pounds. This is the first calf for new mom, Sukuri, who had no issues during her pregnancy and is very attentive to her newborn. The pregnancy was a result of natural breeding with resid...
2021-06-23 - Atlanta, United States.
A 34-year-old African elephant at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia has just taught engineers a thing or two about how to move water. For one thing, she showed that her trunk doesn’t operate as a simple straw. To suck up water, she dilates that trunk — expands it. This cuts how many snorts she’ll need to pull in drinking water or the moisture she uses to hose herself down.
2021-06-18 - Tennessee, United States.
After a long legal battle, Tarra the elephant now belongs to Carol Buckley, the founder of the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee.
2021-05-17 - Houston, United States.
Just two months after baby elephant Winnie was born, there’s a new pachyderm in the herd! Sunday at 8:04 p.m., 37-year-old Asian elephant Tess gave birth to a 391-pound male, and the calf began to nurse within hours. The calf has been named Teddy by the team who have dedicated their lives to the care, well-being, and conservation of these incredible animals.
2021-04-14 - Toledo, United States.
The Toledo Zoo on Wednesday said 9-year-old Lucas the elephant has died from a rare viral infection. "After days of heroic care, we have lost our beloved elephant Lucas to a devastating viral disease known as Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus," zoo President and CEO Jeff Salier said in a video.
2021-04-01 - New York City, United States.
A Ringling Brothers Circus elephant walks out of a train car as young children watch in the Bronx railroad yard in New York City, April 1, 1963. The circus opens in Madison Square Garden April 3 for a 40-day engagement.
2021-03-21 - San Diego, United States.
Jose Manuel Navarrete brought his 2-year-old INSIDE a caged elephant habitat at the San Diego Zoo and fumbled the kid trying to make a run for it. he had to pay a price for his stupid stunt. He was arrested by San Diego PD and booked on child endangerment charges.
2021-03-19 - Omaha, United States.
Claire will give birth to a roughly 200-pound bundle of joy in late January or February next year. Callee, the baby’s father, came to Omaha about two years ago from the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama. The news is good for the zoo’s seven-elephant herd, said Dennis Pate, CEO and executive director of the zoo. It will allow the animals to maintain their herd.
2021-03-19 - El Paso, United States.
Juno the elephant of the El Paso Zoo has died at 53 after fighting breast cancer, the city reported Friday morning. On April 16, 2002, the City Council voted 4-2 to bring another elephant to the El Paso Zoo. Juno, a then 8,000-pound 35-year-old female, arrived later that month, donated by the Center for Elephant Conservation of Polk City, Florida, which is affiliated with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
2021-03-17 - Ruskin, United States.
Barbara Woodcock’s career began in the 1930s as a child working with her parents at their small operation, Marlowe’s Mighty Hippodrome. Educated as a leopard trainer and aerialist, her career took a major U-turn after meeting William “Buckles” Woodcock, her future husband. From 1982 to 2000, they performed with the Big Apple Circus, adding their children to the shows.
2021-03-11 - Houston, United States.
The mother and her newborn, who has not yet been named, will undergo continued post-natal exams and spend several days bonding before they join the rest of the elephants. This is the first calf for Tupelo, whose pregnancy was the result of artificial insemination since she is related to all the male elephants at the zoo.
2021-03-05 - Fort Worth, United States.
A spokesperson for the Fort Worth Zoo said this week that the permit to import Emily and Nellie from Canada was withdrawn last year "following an internal decision" from management, and "those two elephants" would not be imported. According to the Fort Worth Zoo permit for application, the planned sale price was $2 million, plus a $200,000 bonus if Emily produced a calf, as long as it lived for more than 60 days.
2021-02-08 - Buffalo, United States.
Though many elephant relatives harbor extra copies of tumor-suppressor genes, the scientists found that elephant genomes possess some unique duplications that may contribute to tumor suppression through genes involved in DNA repair, resistance to oxidative stress and cellular growth, aging and death.
2021-01-15 - Natural Bridge, United States.
The fifth violation involved Asha, the zoo’s prized elephant, and regulations that require dangerous animals such as lions, tigers, bears and elephants to be under the control of an experienced handler during public exhibits. Visitors sometimes rode, photographed or fed Asha without her handler always being nearby, according to the USDA.
2021-01-03 - , United States.
The department of Zoology, the Machine Learning Research Group in collaboration with Dr. Olga Isupova, from the University of Bath and Dr. Tiejun Wang, professor at the University of Twente, in the Netherlands, gave themselves to the task of developing a software of iartificial intelligence, which is capable of detect and monitor the herds of African elephants, through satellite images with automated learning.
2020-12-26 - St Louis, United States.
One of the St. Louis Zoo's most beloved residents will be turning another year older Sunday. Raja the elephant will turn 28 and you're invited to celebrate him - virtually. The zoo will stream a video of Raja starting at 11 a.m. on their Facebook and YouTube pages and you can celebrate him from the comfort of your couch.
2020-12-26 - Cincinnati, United States.
The Cincinnati Zoo is one giant step closer to building a new home for the elephants. The Cincinnati Business Courier reports the state of Ohio is kicking in $1.5 million to help fund the new Elephant Trek. It's part of a $150-million expansion. Once complete, the elephants will have overhead feeding stations, ponds, a stream, mud wallows and five times the space to explore.
2020-12-11 - Syracuse, United States.
Batu, a five-year-old elephant at Syracuse’s Rosamond Gifford Zoo, died today, Batu, pronounced BAA-two, was 5 years old. His younger brother, baby Ajay, died on Tuesday — about a month before his second birthday. Both young elephants died of elephant endotheliotropic herpes virus, the biggest killer of young Asian elephants.
2020-12-10 - Syracuse, United States.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo is mourning the sudden death of its baby elephant, Ajay. The Syracuse zoo announced that its youngest elephant calf died Tuesday from Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV), a lethal strain of herpes that largely affects young Asian elephants. Ajay would have turned 2 next month.
2020-12-07 - Anchorage, United States. David Reamer
Annabelle (1964-1997) was a prize, literally. Earlier that year, paper products manufacturer Crown Zellerbach ran a promotion for their Chiffon Tissue. Whichever grocery store sold the most toilet paper won their choice of $3,000 (about $24,500 in 2020 dollars) or a baby Indian elephant. Jack Snyder, owner of the two Anchorage S & F Foodland grocery stores, won and chose the elephant. From this sitcom-quality beginning, Anchorage soon gained not only a zoo but one of its most famous artists.
2020-11-30 - Bozeman, United States.
A newly published paper from the museums reveals that the Pacific mastodon, Mammut pacificus, described in 2019 from the Pleistocene of California and Idaho, was also found in eastern Montana between 639,000 and 160,000 years ago. Determining the new find were the Pacific mastodon fossils sent to the Western Science Museum located at 2345 Searl Parkway in Hemet for study by scientists there.
2020-11-29 - Oklahoma City, United States.
Asha, a 25-year-old Asian elephant residing at the Oklahoma City Zoo, is expecting a baby in February 2022. The zoo released a video of the calf's ultrasound, even pointing out the growing baby's head, trunk, and legs. If you're wondering why we have to wait over a year to meet Asha's calf, it's because Asian elephants have a gestation period of 645 days...or around 22 months.
2020-11-19 - Bronx, United States.
Happy the elephant was the center of attention in court Thursday when five state appellate judges debated whether the beloved Bronx Zoo mammal should be recognized as a person. However, the judges were skeptical in granting “personhood” to the 49-year-old female Asian elephant.
2020-11-13 - El Paso, United States.
One of the El Paso Zoo’s Asian elephants, Juno, will undergo her seventh cancer treatment this week. In October 2016, Juno was diagnosed with a malignant mass in her right mammary gland, commonly known as breast cancer. This is the only currently known case of breast cancer in an elephant; elephants are generally not diagnosed with cancer.
2020-11-03 - Tulsa, United States. Cory Smith, KTUL staff
48-year-old female Asian elephant Booper was relocated to Tulsa zoo from Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary, a private animal facility that is discontinuing its elephant program.
2020-10-25 - Penobscot Bay, United States.
The passenger steamship Royal Tar, heading from Saint John, New Brunswick, to Portland, burns and sinks in Penobscot Bay while carrying a variety of circus animals, as well as 72 passengers and 21 crew members. Eventually, Mogul the elephant, standing on deck throughout the fire, crashes through the ship’s rail and falls to the water, taking some unfortunate passengers with him. Of all the fatalities, 31 people drown and one is burned to death.
2020-10-21 - Myakka, United States. Liz Ramos
When going to the Myakka Elephant Ranch, be sure not to have anything sweet in your pocket because Lou, an African savanna elephant, will be able to sniff it out. Public can visit Myakka City nonprofit and its three elephants starting in November.
2020-10-20 - Cedar Rapids, United States. Joe Coffey, The History Center
The Van Amburgh circus that came to Cedar Rapids was run by his longtime manager, Hyatt Frost. It boasted its three tents held “300 men and horses,” the “largest elephant in captivity” and a “double company of star performers.”
2020-10-19 - Colorado Springs, United States.
Two new elephants have joined the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo after more than a month of anticipation. Missy and Kimba Lou, both elderly female elephants from the Lee Richardson Zoo in Garden City, Kan., arrived Sunday night and are settling into their new home. Missy, 46, is the fifth-oldest living elephant in facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She has well exceeded the average life expectancy of just under 38.5 years for female African elephants in captivity.
2020-10-16 - Miami, United States.
The 10-year-old pachyderm “volunteered” to have his injury checked out and was very cooperative during the procedure, doctors said. Ongard will undergo treatment as soon as his results are back. Zoo Miami gave the elephant a home back in 2018 from a zoo in Melbourne, Australia. He is the first Asian elephant born in Australia and the first to ever leave the country.
2020-10-12 - Houston, United States. Elephant Managers Association
For the first time, EMA will host our annual conference virtually, free to all members! EMA will host the EMA virtual conference the same week as previously scheduled via Zoom
2020-10-10 - New York, United States.
The Putnam County Historian’s Office, in partnership with Southeast Museum, recently created a virtual exhibit called Historic Putnam County & the Birth of the American Circus from the early days of Old Bet, an elephant rented out by Nathan Howes of Southeast, to the development of menageries, and Seth B. Howes’ addition of acrobats and clowns that eventually all performed in a ring under a big top.
2020-10-08 - Indianapolis, United States. Lawrence Andrea, Indianapolis Star
Zoo officials said they made "the difficult decision" to euthanize Sophi after her condition declined over the last few days. At 52 years old, Sophi "was among the oldest African elephants in human care in North America."
2020-10-06 - , United States.
Tanya, an African elephant who lived in Cameron Park Zoo, died at the age of 40 after “exhaustive efforts by the Zoo’s veterinarian and animal care staff,” the zoo announced Monday. A preliminary necropsy revealed signs of a yet-unidentified disease that affected the circulatory system, heart, lungs and brain.
2020-10-02 - San Antonio, United States. SBG
The streets of San Antonio would be lined with people as elephants, performers and clowns would parade down the street to let everybody know that the circus was in town. Ringling Brothers made its first visit to San Antonio back in 1894 when they still used the seven-pole big top tent.
2020-09-29 - Greenbrier, United States.
Riddles Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary announced on their Facebook the death of † Peggy, one of the oldest elephants in North America. Peggy peacefully passed away from natural causes.
2020-09-23 - Yulee, United States. Melissa Harris
White Oak Conservation has started construction on a new 2,500-acre home for Asian elephants. Most of these elephants previously traveled throughout the United States with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® until they were retired in 2016. Thirty elephants will be released in the northeastern Florida refuge, owned by philanthropists Mark and Kimbra Walter, as soon as it is ready. The first arrivals are expected in 2021.
2020-09-22 - Houston, United States. Elephant Managers Association (EMA)
Join the herd! Walk, bike, swim, or hike in honor of elephants around the world on Elephant Appreciation Day, September 22, 2020. By signing up for this virtual 5K event, proceeds will go to the EMA to aid in our mission: enhancing the welfare and survival of the world's elephants through improving communication, husbandry, research, education, and conservation.
2020-09-21 - Rochester, United States.
Content and projects will be available on the zoo’s social media accounts, and donations will be collected to support African elephant conservation with the International Elephant Foundation. Zookeepers will compete against Genny C., Lilac and Moki in a watermelon eating contest and guests at the zoo are encouraged to wear grey over the weekend of Sept. 25.
2020-09-20 - Silver Spring, United States. Isabel Corvington
The film is based on the best selling novel by Katherine Applegate. The film portrays the captivity of circus animals as not black and white, but more nuanced, something that is not often seen in movies surrounding animal captivity. The animals aren’t always upset about performing in the circus, and have a mostly positive outlook on their lives. Additionally, there is no clear villain in the film. Even the somewhat greedy circus’ ringleader Mack (Brian Cranston), who holds the animals captiv...
2020-09-13 - Erin, United States. Dan Koehl
Mary was a 5 ton heavy female asian elephant hanged in Erwin, Tennessee, after killing the elephant groom Walter "Red" Eldridge, in Kingsport, in 12th of September 1916. Charlie and Addie Sparks decided that the elephant must be killed. One option was to take her to nearby Erwin, where there was large cranes at the railway station, where she could be killed by hanging. Still, today, Erwin is known as the town that hanged the elephant.
2020-09-10 - Westtown, N.Y., United States. The-Sanctuary-For-Animals Facebook
Fritha died 49 years old, September 5th, 2020 at Dawn Animal Agency. Fritha was born in Viet Nam in 1971. She was rescued, after being hit with napalm during the war when she was a month or two, and sent to The Sanctuary for animals in the USA.
2020-09-09 - Milwaukee, United States. CBS 58 Newsroom
The Milwaukee County Zoo showed its recently-expanded African elephant herd Wednesday, Sept. 9. A new elephant, "Belle," arrived last November. She's been getting used to her new neighbors, Brittany and Ruth.
2020-09-09 - Tucson, United States. Gloria Knott
For the first time since Tucson’s 5-month-old elephant Mapenzi was born, Reid Park Zoo has reopened to the public. Mapenzi — Penzi for short — was born to African elephant Semba on April 6. She joined sister Nandi, dad Mabu, aunt Lungile, and brother Sundzu.
2020-09-08 - Memphis, United States. NBC News
Zoo officials say Tyranza, or Ty as she was affectionately called, died Friday after a dramatic decline in her health. At 56, Tyranza was the oldest African elephant in North America. She set the record for longest-lived African elephant in north America as well.
2020-09-04 - Portland, United States. RACHEL FOBAR
Today, an estimated 5 to 6 percent of the nearly 400 elephants in U.S. zoos, sanctuaries, and circuses are infected with TB. In the mid-1990s, after the deaths of several high-profile captive elephants in the United States, veterinarians became aware that the animals had the human strain of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, more than 60 captive elephants—some of which have since died—have been confirmed with the disease
2020-09-03 - Washington, United States. Christina Larson, The Associated Press Staff
A new study shows that teenage males aren't anti-social after all. Younger male elephants were seen tagging along behind older males as they travel from place to place. It's more evidence in an emerging body of research that shows older males -- like their female counterparts -- play an important role in elephants' complex society.
2020-09-01 - New York, United States.
An international team of researchers has conducted a phylogeographic study of the extinct American mastodon (Mammut americanum) based on 35 complete mitochondrial genomes, finding that there were multiple lineages that existed within the species, including two distinct clades from eastern Beringia. In a study published on Tuesday in Nature Communications, the researchers further noted that their data showed these clades arose at different times, suggesting a pattern of repeated northern expansio...
2020-08-22 - St. Louis, United States. The St. Louis American
2020-08-17 - Washington, United States. Bobby Tanzilo
These images, shared with us by the Milwaukee County Zoo, include some really interesting shots, including one of Robert Raasch, first superintendent of West Park, and his family feeding the deer at the park, and of the elephant Countess Heine. She arrived in Milwaukee in 1907 and was named for Henry "Heine" Bulder, a Milwaukee alderman who raised the funds to purchase her and who can be seen seated atop her in one of the images. Another shot shows the Countess with zoo director Ed Bean.
2019-11-17 - Augusta, United States. Bill Kirby
In February, officials investigating the elephant deaths determined the animals had probably eaten vegetation sprayed with herbicides during the Atlanta stop, gotten sick and died.The circus train left Augusta for Charleston, S.C., and en route lost its 11th elephant, “Peggy,” who succumbed in a railcar. No one found evidence that large amounts of arsenic had been purchased along the circus route.
2018-11-13 - Westtown, N.Y., United States. WHAM/Associated Press
An elephant was spotted wandering in Westtown, which is located about four miles northeast of the New York-New Jersey border. The 46-year-old Asian elephant named Fritha had wandered away from the Sanctuary For Animals on William Lain Road. It had been burned by napalm during the Vietnam War and was living at the sanctuary.
2017-10-02 - Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, United States.
The Elephant Managers Association (EMA) announced the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium as their 38th Annual Conference Host during the 2016 EMA Conference closing ceremonies last October. Since then staff at the Columbus Zoo and the EMA Board of Directors have begun preliminary planning to produce a premier gathering of leaders among the elephant management community to be held October 2-6th.
2017-03-15 - San Diego, United States.
Jumbo the beloved African elephant who toured New Zealand with the travelling circus has died at San Diego Zoo. Former keeper and retired owner of the Whirling Bros circus Tony Ratcliffe said he received a call this morning from the zoo to tell him the news. "They contacted me this morning and told me she passed away in the early hours of the morning," he said. Its not yet clear why Jumbo, also known as Mila, died, and there will be an autopsy.
2017-03-05 - San Francisco, United States.
William Walter Power’s elephants originally appeared in the Walter L. Main Circus and transitioned into a vaudeville act in the early 1900s. The pachyderms, all female Asian elephants, worked the Hippodrome Theatre in New York City, and some sources claim the show was the first American elephant act on an indoor stage. “Lena,†“Jennie,†“Ada,†and “Lou†played baseball, bowled, and danced to whatever was in fashion, from the waltz to the Cha...
2017-03-05 - , United States.
Scientists on Wednesday said a first-of-its-kind study tracking the sleep behavior of wild elephants found the world´s largest land mammal sleeps two hours per day on average, and some days not at all, and does so mostly standing up. This represented the shortest-known sleep time of any mammal. Previous research showed captive elephants got four to six hours daily.
2017-03-04 - El Paso, United States.
The El Paso Zoo has chosen a treatment protocol for Juno, the 49-year-old Asian elephant diagnosed with a malignant mass in her right mammary gland in January. The zoo team discussed her case with elephant experts and veterinary specialists around the United States to determine the best course of action. Cancer is rare in elephants, and this type of tumor has never been previously reported.
2017-02-27 - , United States.
A new study of de-extinction — the potential to use genetic techniques to recreate lost animals and plants — finds that given limited conservation dollars, the benefits of bringing back one lost species would probably cost the extinction of more species that are currently on the brink. For example
2017-02-10 - Portland, United States.
Beloved Oregon Zoo elephant Packy was euthanized after a long battle with a drug-resistant form of tuberculosis, zoo officials announced Thursday. At nearly 55 years old, Packy was the oldest male Asian elephant in North America. We’d run out of options for treating him,†said the zoo´s lead veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms.
2017-02-01 - Winston, United States.
Alice, the oldest elephant at southern Oregon’s Wildlife Safari in Winston, died at age 44 this week. According to a post on the wildlife sanctuary’s Facebook page, Alice died from natural causes on Tuesday afternoon. Alice, the oldest African Elephant at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., dies at 44-years-old. Alice, the oldest African Elephant at the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Ore., dies at 44-years-old. Photo courtesy of Wildlife Safari At 44, s...
2017-01-31 - Michigan, United States.
Paleontologist Daniel Fisher hopes a mastodon skeleton kept at IPFW since the university´s early days may offer clues to solving a question that has baffled researchers for more than 200 years — what caused mastodons to die off at the end of the Ice Age? Fisher and a research assistant arrived Monday at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne to borrow the skeleton for study at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where Fisher is a professor of paleontology and director ...
2017-01-28 - , United States. Magnuson RJ1, Linke LM2, Isaza R3, Salman MD2.
Ninety-nine clinical trunk wash samples obtained from 33 elephants were utilized to validate three molecular extraction techniques followed by a polymerase chain reaction for detection of M. tuberculosis. Diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were estimated compared to culture. Kappa coefficients were determined between molecular results and various culture categories and serological test results.
2017-01-28 - El Paso, United States.
The animal care staff at the El Paso Zoo have received a biopsy report indicating a mass in 49-year-old Asian elephant Juno’s right mammary gland appears malignant, meaning the cells in the mass are exhibiting cancerous characteristics. These results come after several months of close observation and multiple diagnostic procedures. Since receiving the biopsy results, the Zoo veterinarians have been actively researching safe treatment options and consulting with national elephant health ex...
2017-01-24 - Pennsylvania, United States. Lynch M1, McGrath K2, Raj K3, McLaren P4, Payne K5, McCoy R4, Giger U3.
A wild-caught, 41-yr-old male Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) without an apparent increased bleeding tendency was consistently found to have prolonged prothrombin times (PTs, mean = 55±35 s) compared to 17 other elephants (PT=10±2 s). This elephant´s partial thromboplastin times (PTT) fell within the normal range of the other elephants (12-30 s). A prolonged PT in the presence of a normal PTT suggests disruption of the extrinsic pathway via deficiency of coagulation factor VII (FV...
2017-01-24 - Atlanta, United States.
Scientists hope to one day develop a robotic gripper modelled on the dexterous trunks of elephants. The boneless appendage can easily pick up objects as small as a peanut or as heavy as a log. But how do elephants regulate the force they apply with their trunk? Researchers who worked with an elephant at Zoo Atlanta in the United States say the secret is the ability to form a joint in the trunk at a location of the animal’s choice.
2017-01-23 - Hugo, United States.
Opal, one of two elephants who lived at the Hope Elephants sanctuary founded by Jim Laurita in 2012, died in Hugo, Okla. on Jan. 10, following a serious injury to her front left leg. Opal and her elephant companion at the Hope facility, Rosie, had been living at the Endangered Ark Foundation in Hugo since Sept. 2014. Opal was 48 years old.
2017-01-17 - Salt Lake City, United States.
Josh Schiffman likes to think of the tumor-suppressing protein p53 as a superhero in a bright red cape. It swoops in whenever there is DNA damage and fixes or eliminates the problem in an attempt to keep the body healthy. Most mammals, from humans to elephants, have some p53. But elephants — which rarely get cancer — have many more copies, Schiffman said, and they´re stronger.
2017-01-03 - Cincinnati, United States.
Cecil Jackson Senior retired from the zoo in 1998, two months shy of being there for 50 years. People could find him and any animal at local parades and he also worked with Marge Schott and the Reds. He appeared on National Geographic twice for the zoo and was on hand to see the first gorilla born in captivity.His son, Cecil Junior, is now the head elephant trainer.
2017-01-03 - Macomb Township, United States.
In June 2011, the Ignasiak siblings, along with their cousin Megan Bonus made the find, although they weren’t sure at the exactly what they had come across.“We had no idea what we were doing, we didn’t plan on finding mastodon bones,†said Nicole Ignasiak, 19, who was 14 at the time of the pair’s discovery.
2016-12-15 - Portland, United States.
Packy’s human family at the Oregon Zoo is concerned for the health of the legendary Asian elephant, the oldest living of his kind in North America. The 54-year-old Packy has shown a recurrence of tuberculosis, and treatment has stopped working and it’s been suspended. Zoo officials are consulting with experts about what to do. Not to alarm anybody, but it’s an unknown situation.
2016-12-05 - Guwahati, United States.
Three wild elephants, including two pregnant females, were killed by a speeding train in Assam early on Monday, officials said. A herd of elephants were crossing the railway track at Hojai in Nagaon district when they were hit by the Kanyakumari-Dibrugarh Vivek Express around 12:30am, nearly 137 kilometres from Guwahati. “One of the elephants was a 4-year-old female, while 2 others were pregnant. One of them aborted a 2-month-old fetus after the accident and we found a 4-month-old fetus in...
2016-12-01 - Los Angeles, United States.
Los Angeles was built in a place pockmarked with tar pits, and one of the sites on the extension of the Purple Line is at Wilshire and La Brea, not far from the famous La Brea Tar Pits, which daily yields new finds. Late in November, construction crews found another one, the Los Angeles Times reports. The first piece of an ancient animal that they discovered was a shattered tusk, three feet long, followed by a mastodon tooth. This week, a specialist who monitors the site for fossil finds located...
2016-11-29 - Columbus, United States.
Asian elephant sisters Rudy, 14, and Sunny, 8, are moving to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida. Any offspring born of Rudy or Sunny would belong the zoo, and would be used as a part of the American Zoological Association´s Species Survival Plan.
2016-11-23 - SANTA BARBARA, United States.
A piece of the Channel Islands history is being uncovered at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The museum recently received a giant box brought in by Mammoth Movers. “We are not sure if it is a small full size Columbian mammoth, the species that got out to the island originally, or whether it is a large variety of the Pygmy mammoth,†said National Park Service archaeologist Don Morris.
2016-11-08 - Ann Arbor, United States.
Seth Colling, who teaches children with developmental disabilities at an outdoor learning center in Michigan, was walking along a creek looking for fish with his students in 2014 when they saw something odd sticking out from the water. “It looked really strange,†Mr. Colling said. “I said to my student, ‘Hey what is that?’â€
2016-11-03 - Gibsonton, United States.
Mystery still surrounds the death of a Florida man whose 3-year-old son answered his phone Monday afternoon after they failed to return from a ride on a nearby river. The body of 38-year-old William “Billy†Morris was found Tuesday morning along the south shoreline of the Alafia River in Gibsonton, Florida, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
2016-11-01 - Amherst, United States. University of Massachusetts at Amherst
In a paper this month in PLOS ONE, authors suggest that the two main census methods now in use may be undercounting elephants and that population estimates from both are biased low.
2016-10-31 - New Haven, United States. Gaughran SJ, Pless E, Stearns SC. Yale University
Elephants have significantly reduced their risk of cancer by duplicating an important gene called TP53.
2016-10-22 - BENGALURU, United States.
Veterinary doctors and experts on Friday treated and operated on Sidda - the injured and partially blind elephant who has been living in the backwaters of Manchanbele Dam, 30 km from Bengaluru, for 45 days. It was found that Sidda had sustained a fracture in his right forelimb.
2016-10-18 - Mayville, United States.
The most complete ice age mastodon skeleton found in Michigan since the 1940s was recovered this month from the state´s Thumb region by a University of Michigan-led team that included Tuscola County teachers who volunteered for the dig.More than 75 complete or nearly complete bones, accounting for 60-70 percent of the extinct mammal´s skeletal mass, were recovered during the four-day dig at the Fowler Center for Outdoor Learning near Mayville, in Michigan´s Thumb region. The di...
2016-10-03 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The Oklahoma City Zoo´s baby elephant Achara is recovering from a case of herpes. She took her final dose of medicine Saturday after about 10 days of elevated virus levels, which are now on the decline. Achara has the same strain of elephant herpes that killed her sister Malee last year, EEHV 1A. This is the second strain she has been exposed to, as she previously contracted EEHV 1B.
2016-10-02 - Johannesburg, United States.
Delegates at a UN wildlife conference have endorsed calls for the closure of all domestic ivory markets. The non-binding proposal was approved at a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) in South Africa. Conservationists hailed it as a significant step towards ending the current elephant poaching crisis.
2016-09-16 - Boston, United States. Ewen Callaway
Love Dalén, a palaeogeneticist at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, says that the study will force a reshuffle of the elephant family tree. “Basically Loxodonta is not valid as a genus name,” he says. He thinks that taxonomists may need to come up with new names for the different species, to better represent the relationship between savannah, forest and straight-tusked elephants.
2016-08-23 - San Diego, United States.
The San Diego Zoo lost one of its elder statesmen Tuesday. Ranchipur, the zoo’s 50-year-old Asian elephant, was euthanized after his health suddenly took a turn for the worse. The elderly mammal, who was the fourth-oldest male elephant in the Western Hemisphere, had been under veterinary care for several years due to various geriatric ailments.
2016-06-09 - Buon Don, United States.
Over 20 diplomatic and business delegates enjoyed touring Dak Lak Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands on Wednesday afternoon, getting a close-up look at local culture.The delegates observed domesticated elephants, visited traditional stilt houses, crossed a wooden suspension bridge, and enjoyed traditional performances by local Rade ethnics.
2016-05-07 - Polk city, United States.
The circus held a final performance in Rhode Island, folded the elephant tent for good and shipped the performers to their permanent retirement in Central Florida, where they arrived Thursday. The era of the elephant in "the greatest show on earth" is over.
2016-04-30 - Atlanta, United States.
Shark-tooth diver Bill Eberlein experienced a first in his lifetime when he found a mastodon jaw embedded in the mud of a river bed. "I have been diving in coastal Georgia rivers for over 15 years for prehistoric shark teeth, but this is the first time I have discovered a mastodon jaw," Eberlein said.
2016-04-29 - New York, United States. Powell DM, Vitale C.
A study was conducted at the Bronx Zoo to determine whether providing elephants with access to an outdoor corral at night had any significant effects on behavior, use of space, and use of a sand corral. Activity budgets for three female Asian elephants were compared when the subjects were housed indoors overnight and when they were given access to an outdoor yard overnight. Observations were recorded via infrared video cameras between the hours of 1900 and 0700 during the months of July-Septembe...
2016-04-29 - Sequim, United States.
The partial remains of a Columbian mammoth skull discovered in the bluffs near Sequim Bay in early January are undergoing a stabilization process at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle. Once stabilized, the fossil likely will be loaned to the Sequim Museum for display.
2016-04-23 - Providence, United States.
The Greatest Show on Earth is headed to Providence next week and it will be the last time elephants are ever a part of the show. For the first time in its 146-year history, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus is saying goodbye to its legendary elephants.
2016-04-21 - Birmingham, United States.
The Birmingham Zoo’s beloved African elephant, Bulwagi, is set to receive potentially life-saving surgery in May to remove his infected tusk. The surgery is a very involved process requiring intense preparation, so the Birmingham Zoo is bringing in experts from the Colyer Institute and extra veterinary assistance from across the country to help with the multiple hour operation.
2016-04-20 - Miami, United States.
Zoo Miami welcomed two new African elephants to its exhibit Tuesday, who were brought to Miami from the Virginia Zoo. The elephants, Cita and Lisa, are moving to Zoo Miami as part of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums recommendation. Cita and Lisa will be presented to the public at Zoo Miami on May 20 following the quarantine period.
2016-01-29 - Polk City, United States.
On Monday morning, January 25th, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® lost its youngest elephant to the elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). Two-year old “Mikeâ€, who was born at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation, passed away despite the heroic efforts of our veterinary and animal care staff to save him. While final necropsy results are still pending, preliminary results, as well as blood tests sent to Smithsonian Insti...
2016-01-25 - Kansas City, United States.
The Kansas City Zoo will acquire a bull African elephant sometime in October, making possible a future breeding program, zoo officials announced Wednesday. Tamani, who will soon be 10 years old, now resides at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama with three other males, including his father. In Kansas City, Tamani will join six female African elephants who are past their reproductive years. But Kansas City Zoo officials hope to acquire younger females in the future.
2016-01-22 - Washington, United States.
Three U.S. zoos announced a new agreement Jan. 21, 2016, with Borneo-based wildlife organizations to protect the endangered Borneo pygmy elephant. The first partnership of its kind, the effort will provide support for solutions to the frequent and sometimes deadly conflicts between people and elephants on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.
2016-01-22 - Falls Church, United States.
Eighteen elephants from southern Africa soon will be on a 747 headed to the United States. A federal agency has officially approved the permits to import the elephants from Swaziland to zoos in Wichita, Dallas and Omaha. The Sedgwick County Zoo, the Dallas Zoo and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium will each get six elephants under an agreement announced last fall.
2016-01-19 - Venice, United States.
A contributing columnist to the Times Leader felt it was appropriate to attack Ringling Bros. animal care. Not only did he spread animal rights propaganda about the circus, he also insulted the dedicated men and women with Ringling Bros. who spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week, caring for our animals.
2016-01-13 - Venice, United States.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus announced Monday that early in May, 11 female elephants that together have spent decades on the road for circuses will step off train cars and super-semi trucks for the last time into retirement in central Florida. Most will be returning to family and friends.
2016-01-10 - Huntsville, United States.
Elephants have a low incidence of cancer, and scientists are examining why elephants are cancer resistant but humans lack this capability. Ringling Bros. dedicated a performance at the Von Braun Center to Huntsville’s oncology unit. That evening raised awareness to national cancer research by Dr. Joshua Schiffman, who has connected DNA from Ringling Bros. elephants to DNA from patients with cancer.
2016-01-10 - Portland, United States.
Seven staff at the Oregon Zoo were infected with tuberculosis following an outbreak starting in 2013 among three bull elephants – Packy, his son Rama and Tusko. The seven people who developed a latent form of the disease without symptoms had close contact with the elephants, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An eighth person, a volunteer, also developed a mysterious case of tuberculosis.
2015-11-24 - Tupelo, United States. Jim Clark
On Nov. 2, 1922, Nellie Lockhart arrived in Tupelo via the railroad. She had just given a performance in Booneville and after the Tupelo show was to be sold. Nellie was an elephant, part of the Gollmar Brothers Circus.
2015-11-20 - New York, United States.
Prince William recently stated that he was initially drawn to Tusk by its innovative and holistic approach and its unwavering certainty that conservation is as much about people and community programmes as it is about wildlife protection. The imperative of balancing the conservation of wildlife and natural resources with the ever growing needs of the human race is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today."
2015-11-20 - Venice, United States.
Feld Entertainment was started by his father, Irvin; today, Kenneth, 66, runs it with his three daughters, Nicole, Alana and Juliette, all in their 30s. Earlier this year, they decided together that by 2018, Ringling Brothers would take its elephants off the road and retire them to the family’s vast preserve in Florida, where the Felds say the animals will breed and take part in research for everything from fertility to cancer.
2015-11-17 - Birmingham, United States.
When Birmingham Zoo veterinarians approached researchers from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering to help them stop a crack from growing in their oldest elephant’s tusk, the engineers saw an opportunity to use their expertise in materials science to improve the industry standard for the repair process.
2015-11-17 - Bay Lake, United States.
Tsavo has come back home. The 7-year-old elephant has arrived at Disney´s Animal Kingdom, where he was born, after spending two years at the National Elephant Center in Fellsmere. Tsavo and Thandi were two remaining elephants at the troubled center, which Disney helped found.
2015-11-16 - Tulsa, United States.
Zoo veterinarians and other wildlife experts agreed that the use of humane euthanasia was the best course of action to end the animal’s suffering. The zoo released necropsy results that showed Tova had a 10 pound bladder stone blocking the flow of urine from the bladder.
2015-11-16 - Seattle, United States.
Seattle´s Woodland Park Zoo has transferred ownership of its Asian elephants to zoos in Oklahoma City and St. Louis, where the animals are now living. Female elephants Bamboo and Chai were moved to Oklahoma City Zoo this past May when the zoo closed its elephant exhibit. Another female Asian elephant, Sri (SEE) has been living at the Saint Louis Zoo since 2002.
2015-11-16 - Birmingham, United States.
Bulwagi, the Birmingham Zoo’s 35-year-old African bull elephant, underwent what could be a breakthrough procedure this month to help correct a long-term crack in his tusk.Because of the tusk’s slow growth rate, according to the Zoo, the team will not be able to assess the procedure’s success for several months.
2015-11-15 - Tulsa, United States.
The Tulsa Zoo reports that one of the zoo´s newest Asian elephants, Tova, has died. Zoo staff says they observed initial signs that Tova was sick on November 9th. The zoo says colleagues from the Center for Elephant Conservation aided experts to ensure all treatments were explored.
2015-11-13 - Las Vegas, United States.
A fossil mammoth tusk and molar recently excavated by UNLV paleontologists soon will give us a better idea of what Southern Nevada was like thousands of years ago when animals such as mammoths and camels roamed the valley. The fossils were excavated from a site adjacent to U.S. Highway 95 west of Indian Springs, about 40 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
2015-11-13 - Hohenwald, United States.
The Nashville Zoo has sent all three of the its female African elephants to The Elephant Sanctuary in Lewis County.After successful transports last week, Sukari, 31 years old, and Rosie, 44, have joined their zoo mate, Hadari, in the Sanctuary. Hadari, a 33-year-old African elephant, arrived at The Sanctuary from the Zoo in late September.
2015-11-13 - Oregon, United States.
A new book, written and photographed by two Wisconsin residents, aims to capture the unique relationship between humans and elephants at the Oregon Zoo. They discuss some of the most powerful photos in the book, and talk about some of the big questions surrounding elephants in captivity.
2015-11-12 - Omaha, United States.
The Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium filed a permit, along with its partner zoos in Wichita and Dallas, to bring a total of 18 elephants to the U.S. from Swaziland, six of which would head to Omaha. They filed the report in November 2014 and it opened for public comment earlier this month. Members of the public have until Nov. 23 to provide feedback to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service before a decision is made on whether to allow the import.
2015-11-11 - Fellsmere, United States.
Three of five elephants that went to the center since it opened in 2013 have died. Two had come from Disney and one came from the Nashville Zoo. The Nashville Zoo was going to send three more elephants to the center but instead has placed them in a sanctuary.
2015-11-11 - Topeka, United States.
He made reference to a petition posted at change.org asking that Sunda and Tembo be removed to an elephant sanctuary. More than 150,500 people have signed the petition, which says the elephants — “after a lifetime of neglect†— should be able to spend the rest of their days happy and healthy.
Fellsmere City Manager Jason Nunemaker said he and Mayor Susan Adams were assured by center officials that it will remain open despite the pending relocation of male and female elephants who were part of a herd of four that arrived in 2013 from Disney´s Animal Kingdom. Two of those elephants died at the center in 2014.
2015-11-11 - Vienna, United States.
Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) has partnered with pediatric oncologist Dr. Joshua Schiffman to tackle a new frontier of research and treatment. While humans have up to a 25 percent chance of getting cancer in their lifetime, elephants have a less than five percent chance.
2015-11-11 - Charlottesville, United States.
As a National Geographic filmmaker, Geoff Luck has experienced a wide swath of the microcosms that make up our world, covering diverse continents and cultures—but he also knows a hell of a lot about elephants. As part of TEDxCharlottesville’s November 13 event, Luck will give a talk on lessons he learned during his recent experience documenting a baby elephant in Botswana.
2015-11-10 - Nebraska , United States.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday for five performances in June of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey´s "Circus XTREME.""Circus XTREME" also features Bengal tigers, two-humped camels ridden by Mongolian women and the most popular members of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey family: the magnificent Asian elephants.
2015-11-09 - Polk City, United States.
Established in 1995, the 200-acre center is home to the largest herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere, some 28 pachyderms aged 2 to 70. Twenty-six elephant calves have been born here, including Barack, the now 6-year-old male who was the first CEC elephant conceived using artificial insemination.
2015-11-09 - Hohenwald, United States.
All three of the Nashville Zoos African Elephants have been relocated to a Tennessee sanctuary. It was decided in September that Rosie, 44, and 33-year-old Hadari would be moved to The Elephant Sanctuary (TES) in Hohenwald. It was recently decided that 31-year-old Sukari would also join the other two elephants.
2015-11-07 - Pittsburgh, United States.
Jackson, an African elephant bull, is doing his best to replenish the world´s shrinking pachyderm population, according to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Jackson has mated with three females that could be pregnant
2015-11-06 - Pittsburg, United States.
Construction of an elephant maternal care center for the Pittsburgh zoo is in full swing — and just in time as three elephants could be pregnant. The new International Conservation Center facility, for the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, is located about 75 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, near Fairhope. The new center will be able to hold up to 15 elephants.
2015-11-03 - Richmond, United States.
Following the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the oversight and governing body of accredited zoos in the U.S., Lisa and Cita will relocate to Zoo Miami in 2016. Zoo Miami is home to two older female African elephants, Mable and Peggy.
2015-10-05 - Chelsea, United States.
A team of University of Michigan paleontologists and an excavator who donated his time worked all day at the site in Lima Township, roughly 10 miles southwest of Ann Arbor and several miles from the town of Chelsea. They were able to recover about 20 percent of the animal´s bones, including the skull and two tusks, numerous vertebrae and ribs, the pelvis and both shoulder blades.
2015-10-02 - Kansas City, United States. Chris Oberholtz
The Kansas City Zoo is preparing for a bull African elephant arrival sometime this month. Tamani, meaning "hope" in Swahilli, will turn 10 on Oct. 17 and will join six female African elephants that are past their reproductive years. But zoo officials hope to acquire younger females in the future. "While our females are not in their reproductive years, it is our intent to exhibit some in the future," said Randy Wisthoff, the zoo´s executive director. "Tamani provides us the o...
2015-10-02 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The Oklahoma City Zoo announced Thursday that 4-year-old female Asian elephant Malee died. Malee died about 4 a.m. Thursday. Zookeepers noticed that Malee was moving slower than usual Wednesday afternoon, although she was eating and doing other activities normally, according to a news release
2015-05-10 - SALT LAKE CITY, United States.
The oldest African Elephant in North America and long-time Zoo favorite, 55-year-old Dari, had a difficult time getting up Friday morning. Zoo staff found Dari lying on the ground unable to stand. With a stiff and arthritic hind leg, Dari could not get the leverage she needed to get up on her own.
2015-04-21 - CRAIG LEMOULT, United States.
Maybe you remember your school mascot as just a classmate in a bear outfit or some kind of pirate get-up at half time. But at Tufts University, the mascot is much more specific — and historic. Friday, the Tufts community gathered to unveil a huge new statue of their unique mascot Jumbo the elephant.
2015-04-17 - San Francisco, United States. Bill Shireman
Now that Ringling Brothers has committed to end its elephant shows, for example, it would be tempting for many advocates to go for the kill, and seek to shut down every circus, zoo, or aquarium where animals are put on display for entertainment. But here is the elephant in the room: continuing to demonize animal venues would be a sell-out of the movement´s higher mission. Circuses and zoos can be among the strongest and most effective allies for animal protection, if we mix pressure with p...
2015-04-15 - Portland, United States.
The Oregon Zoo’s beloved patriarch elephant, Packy, is celebrating another birthday: the six-ton senior just turned 53. Zoo officials say Packy is the oldest male of his species on the North American continent. The zoo’s elephant curator Bob Lee said Packy has slowed down in old age and the zoo is trying to give him the most comfortable life possible.
2015-04-12 - Santa Monica, United States.
The much-vaunted film of Richard Leakey that is set to be made by Angelina Jolie may not get off the ground. Jolie wants the movie to focus on the battle with the poachers that Leakey undertook during the 1980’s while the movie funders wanted the movie to be a romantic love story.
2015-04-11 - Seattle, United States.
The country’s two elephant sanctuaries have, indeed, taken in several animals with confirmed or suspected cases of the disease. When officials at Woodland Park Zoo decided to send Seattle’s aging females, Chai and Bamboo, to the Oklahoma City Zoo instead of a sanctuary, TB was one of the reasons cited. But TB is by no means exclusive to sanctuaries. Three males at Oregon Zoo in Portland were recently diagnosed in quick succession, and six staff members tested positive for exposure.
2015-04-11 - Hartford, United States.
Antique dealers, collectors, auctioneers and museum representatives gathered in Connecticut last month to oppose a bill seeking a total and uncompromising ban on the sale of ivory.The Raised Bill No. 6955 goes significantly further than last year´s federal ban on the commercial sale of elephant ivory and rhino horn or the state legislation recently adopted in New York and New Jersey.
2015-04-11 - Jacksonville, United States.
I have a question concerning an elephant that was born in the Jacksonville Zoo I believe in 1956, maybe 1957, and there was a contest to name the elephant. My class named it Debbie, and we got to go to the zoo for the day.
2015-04-11 - Jaldapara, United States.
A baby elephant, kept in Jhargram Mini Zoo for the past one-and-a-half-months, was today taken to the Jaldapara National Park by forest department, and named Durga. The little jumbo, of 4-5 feet height, was separated from its herd and rescued by wildlife personnel from Sankrail forest in West Midnapore district, Sahu said.
2015-04-11 - Perris, United States.
Animal rights extremists are trying to keep the elephants from coming to the Kern County Fair, where they´ve been loved for over a decade! Please voice your support for keeping elephant rides at the fair, before the decision 20th meeting. Write to the Kern County Fair Board of Directors: MOlcott@kerncountyfair.com, JBurton@kerncountyfair.com
2015-04-11 - Los Angeles, United States.
In a move closely related to the epochal March 5th announcement from Ringling Bros. that it plans to phase out the use of elephants in its traveling shows, California state Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) has introduced SB 716, a bill to prohibit the use of bullhooks on elephants in California.
2015-04-09 - Venice, United States.
Ringling Brothers circus is phasing out elephants in its shows, and all of its elephants are expected to retire by 2018. Tucked away in rural central Florida, the elephant sanctuary is where some Ringling Brothers elephants are already enjoying their retirement. "It´s so quiet," said Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. "You can walk around, and you don´t hear anything." It´s located on 200 acres of land, and it´s a place where some of the elephants from ...
2015-04-09 - TONAWANDA, United States.
SR Instruments, a leading manufacturer of customized, purpose-built scales for healthcare, veterinary, zoological, aquarium, theme and water park applications, today announced that it has successfully installed a new, large platform scale for the Buffalo Zoo’s elephant and rhino habitats.
2015-04-09 - Seattle, United States.
A federal judge on Tuesday criticized conditions for elephants at both the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle and the Oklahoma City Zoo but refused to block the transfer of two aging Seattle elephants to Oklahoma. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour said Tuesday he was "deeply troubled" that the Oklahoma zoo won´t be able to offer Chai and Bamboo "the climate nor nearly the amount of space that independent experts have said is necessary for their well-being," The Seattle Times reported (http://i...
2015-04-09 - Washington, United States.
Portions of the book are adapted from postings to the New York Times’s Scientist at Work blog that the author wrote while also publishing more technical presentations of her findings in Ethology Ecology & Evolution, American Zoologist and other peer-reviewed journals. When not doing fieldwork in Namibia, O’Connell is an instructor at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
2015-04-09 - Polk City, United States.
The Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation sits on 200 acres of land in rural central Florida, halfway between Orlando and Sarasota, off a nondescript country road. An armed security guard greets you at the entrance. Twenty-nine elephants currently live here, and 13 more will join the group by 2018, after Ringling Bros. decided this year to stop using elephants in its traveling circus.
2015-04-09 - Seattle, United States. JENNIFER WING
Woodland Park Zoo is actively preparing its two Asian Elephants, Chai and Bamboo, to make the journey to Oklahoma City Zoo. Nancy Hawkes, the zoo’s Curator, says it involves months of planning. “Anything to do with elephants takes time.†Two custom made crates were built for Chai and Bamboo. In February, one was put in their yard so they could get use to it. Keepers stood nearby with watermelons and honeydews to lure them in.
2015-04-09 - Indianapolis, United States.
Video of a reunion between a mother elephant and her baby is making its way around the Internet and prompting thousands of viewers to say, “awwwwwww.†MeBai and her mother Mae Yui had been separated for three years. A videographer was there when the mother-daughter pair were reunited on a sunny day. It’s plain to see the moment is a happy one. MeBai and Mae Yui appear to be dancing around, ears flapping in and out, and each donning smiles so big they’re infectious.
2015-03-31 - Portland, United States. Felix Balthasar
On Monday, the Oregon Zoo euthanized a 31-year-old elephant named Rama. The zoo officials took this hard decision as Rama was in extreme pain due to an old leg injury. Rama was treated with physical therapy techniques and anti-inflammatory medications. But the zoo officials said that none of them were proving effective to lessen the pain. In fact, no new modifications were able to improve Rama´s quality of life.
2014-11-06 - San Lorenzo, United States.
An Argentine man digging a well in his yard struck fossils believed to be the bones of a 10,000-year-old mastodon, an extinct mammal. San Lorenzo is located in the Pampas lowlands where other mastodons—part of the elephant family—have been discovered, several of which are on display at the history museum.
2014-09-13 - Azle, United States.
Research proposals to conduct policy or management related projects (e.g. those directly mitigating human-elephant conflict or combating poaching) will not be considered. Additionally, research on ex situ elephants will not be considered unless it is a minor portion of a longer-term, in situ study. Studies involving a laboratory component (e.g., genetic or endocrine) are welcomed, but the emphasis should be on the field work.
2014-09-11 - Hope, United States.
The Hope Elephants board of directors announced late Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 10, that Rosie and Opal will return to Oklahoma to the Endangered Ark Foundation, where they had lived before coming to Maine two years ago. The board has also established a Jim Laurita Fund. “The move back there is not necessarily a permanent move,” said Hope Elephants spokesman Andrew Stewart, this evening. “In the interim, we will make plans for the future and how best to move forward.”
2014-09-10 - , United States. Wilkie, Davison, Kerr, Stidworthy, Redrobe, Steinbach, Dastjerdi, Denk
Here, we report the pathological characteristics of the first fatality linked to EEHV5 infection, and describe the complete viral DNA sequence. Gross post-mortem and histological findings were indistinguishable from lethal cases previously attributed to other EEHV genotypes, and the presence of characteristic herpesviral inclusions in capillary endothelial cells at several sites was consistent with the diagnosis of acute EEHV infection.
2014-09-10 - Hope, United States.
Veterinarian Dr. Jim Laurita, 56, was found dead in the barn of Hope Elephants on Tuesday morning, the Portland Press Herald reports. Police first believed he had fallen and hit his head on a cement floor, but an afternoon autopsy determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation and fractures from chest compressions.
2014-06-16 - Greenville, United States.
Joni (Joy), a beloved 44-year-old African elephant at the Greenville Zoo, died while en route to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo which was to have been her new home, zoo officials said Sunday. She was being transported because both zoos believed she would receive better geriatric care and have more opportunities for socialization at her new home in Colorado Springs.
2014-05-06 - Ann Arbor, United States.
More than two decades ago, University of Michigan paleontologist Daniel Fisher and some of his students began the laborious task of digitally scanning the bones of mastodons, mammoths and other prehistoric creatures so the images could be displayed on computers.
2014-05-04 - Punta Gorda, United States. Barbara J. Bonsignore
Jacob reminisces about his earlier life as chief medical person for all of the animals at the Benzini Bros. Circus – “The Greatest Show on Earth.” He dropped out of vet school before his final exam so was technically a vet student. The author gives us a varied tapestry of life behind the scenes at “The Big Top” – the greed, poverty, violence, tawdriness, friendship and caring between the circus employees.
2014-05-04 - Washington, United States.
In June, the United States begins strict enforcement of a ban on ivory from the tusks of African and Asian elephants. But the ban is forcing musicians to make a choice, perform without their favorite instruments, or give up work that takes them across the U.S. border.
2014-05-04 - Edmonton, United States.
A man who fought vigorously against animal rights activists who wanted to see Lucy the Elephant moved to an animal sanctuary, has died. Doctor Milton Ness, a chief veterinarian at the Edmonton Valley Zoo, passed away last week. In 2012, Ness was honoured by the Alberta Veterinarian Medical Association for his exceptional communication with Edmonton residents.
2014-05-03 - Oakland, United States.
On Saturday, May 3, 2014, at 11:00am, Dr. Joel Parrott, President & CEO of Oakland Zoo, will accept the dedication of a bronze elephant statue from the Snow family, in memory of Sidney A. Snow, who personally procured the land for Oakland Zoo and founded the Alameda County Zoological Society, now the East Bay Zoological Society. Snow served as Director of Oakland Zoo from 1936 until his death in 1959.
2014-05-01 - Los Angeles, United States.
The bullhook ban will go into effect at the beginning of 2017 a delay meant to give circuses time to change how they handle elephants or remove them from their shows completely. "We´re not going to come to L.A. without our elephants," said Stephen Payne, vice president of corporate communications for Feld Entertainment, the parent company for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
2014-02-27 - Seattle, United States.
The fossilized mammoth tusk discovered at a Seattle construction site will reveal its age, gender and life story, but probably not for another year, because that´s how long it will take scientists to dry out the water-logged and fragile tusk, officials at the Burke Museum said Wednesday.
2014-02-22 - Washington, United States.
A decade-long legal battle is finally coming to a close after the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) agreed to pay the owners of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus $9.3 million for alleging the circus abused their elephants. “Animal activists have been attacking our family, our company, and our employees for decades because they oppose animals in circuses,” Kenneth Feld, chairman and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment, said in a stateme...
2014-02-21 - New York, United States.
Our animals are inspected by animal welfare officials and routinely inspected and are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Despite this heavy regulatory scrutiny, many animal-rights groups criticize our animal care and the use of approved and widely accepted elephant tools, like the guide (often referred to by animal extremists as a “bullhook”). Groups like the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Elephant Managers Association and other professional organizations recognize ...
2014-02-11 - San Diego, United States.
Animal care staff has been introducing Mila to one the female elephants of the herd -- the most dominant of the group -- an Asian elephant named Mary. They say the interactions have been largely positive, with Mila and Mary reaching through the barriers with their trunks to get to know each other. The 41-year-old elephant arrived in San Diego from a zoo in New Zealand back in November.
2014-02-07 - Tupelo, United States.
A circus elephant is coming back to Mississippi, nearly a year after being injured in a drive-by shooting. Carol, a 39-year-old Asian elephant, spent several weeks recovering at a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus farm in Springfield, Mo., after the April 9, 2013, shooting outside BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss. The animal was shot in the shoulder. No arrests have been made but the case remains open.
2014-02-05 - Panama City, United States.
Elephant Walk, a USDA-licensed elephant exhibitor, used the STAT-PAK kit to test one of its elephants, Topsy. After the test showed a "reactive" result, Elephant Walk asked for clarification and a retest, claiming that the test was often unreliable. When Elephant Walk later retested Topsy, it allegedly got a negative result. It claimed that the inaccurate "reactive" result stopped it from exhibiting Topsy in circuses and other events because animal rights groups and certain states had interprete...
2014-02-04 - New York, United States.
After receiving information that African elephants are headed for extinction and elephant ivory poaching is funding terrorism, Assemblyman Bob Sweeney wrote a letter imploring the Department of Conservation to prohibit the sale of ivory in New York.
2014-02-04 - Houston, United States.
Zookeepers and volunteers are now watching around the clock for any signs of labor in Shanti. “She might swap her tail, lift her legs, maybe she can’t get as comfortable at night. Oftentimes too, you’ll see her lift her tail like she’s straining a little bit.” Like elephants in the wild, Shanti will give birth standing up, and gravity will help the calf drop out of her. The calf might weigh 350 pounds or more.
2014-02-02 - Greenville, United States.
Ladybird, one of the Greenville Zoo´s African elephants, is undergoing treatment and close observation for a medical condition, zoo officials said. Officials said Ladybird experienced an episode of abdominal pain, which can be fairly common with a weather change. As a result, she has been receiving supportive care, including oral fluids and high fiber foods. She may also be taken off exhibit, officials said, while she recovers.
2014-02-02 - , United States.
A German conservation official has shot dead an elephant in Botswana. Udo Wedekind, whose job includes environmental protection and care of endangered species, fired at the animal during a hunting trip in the African country last year. Today, Thueringen´s regional government environment minister, Juergen Reinholz, said: ´It is not of interest what civil servants do in their free time as long as they follow the law and don´t break the rules.´
2014-01-31 - Bethesda, United States. Stanton JJ, Nofs SA, Zachariah A, Kalaivannan N, Ling PD.
We used previously validated EEHV-specific quantitative real-time PCR assays to detect subclinical EEHV infection in three regionally distinct Asian elephant cohorts, totaling 46 in situ elephants in South India, during October and November 2011. Using DNA prepared from trunk washes, we detected EEHV1, EEHV3/4, and EEHV5 at frequencies of 7, 9, and 20% respectively. None of the trunk washes was positive for EEHV2 or 6. At least one EEHV species was detectable in 35% (16/46) of the samples that w...
2014-01-30 - Washington, United States.
The United Nations Security Council took a critical step today in tackling elephant poaching and illicit ivory trade by addressing the link between instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and wildlife trafficking. In renewing the DRC sanctions regime, the resolution targets individuals and entities illegally supporting armed groups through the illicit trade of natural resources, including wildlife and wildlife products, such as elephant ivory.
2014-01-26 - Tehama, United States.
In the rural, rolling hills of Northern California, plans are under way for a 4,900-acre preserve that would keep African elephants healthy, in shape and breeding. Part fat farm and part laboratory, the elephant preserve would start with three to five elephants and let them grow into a herd of 12 to 15 over two decades. Scientists also would conduct research into the "near-wild" herd, and school groups would come to learn about African elephants, considered to be a threatened species because of ...
2014-01-17 - , United States.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden celebrated the birth of its first elephant calf of 2014 with the arrival of a playful male Jan. 6. Park Director Kampol Tansajja announced that 14-year-old cow Sarai had given birth to her first calf, which appeared healthy and was feeding normally. It was sired by 16-year-old bull Ning Nong.
2014-01-17 - Topeka, United States.
So far, the zoo only has a price estimate for building out the elephant exhibit. In 2012, Wiley said, that cost was estimated at $9.8 million, which would increase the exhibit from three-quarters of an acre and two elephants to 3 acres and six to eight elephants. Expanding the elephant exhibit would be the zoo’s first priority, should the plan be set into motion, he said.
2014-01-16 - Audubon, United States.
How do you slice a birthday cake for elephants? You don´t - the elephant honoree gets an entire cake. At least, that´s what the Audubon Zoo did Thursday for Panya´s 50th birthday. The Asian elephant got one complete chocolate cake. The zoo´s other Asian elephant, 41-year-old Jean, got another.
2014-01-16 - Oquawka, United States.
This is a bittersweet tale about a 6,500-pound circus elephant, her final resting place, and her legacy. It is a story in which some see a grain of humor, perhaps something we all need to find when tragedy strikes under unusual circumstances and is recalled years later.
2013-12-29 - Indianapolis, United States.
Indiana´s own prehistoric beasts are the focus of the museum´s new exhibition. "Ice Age Giants" re-creates the process of uncovering the fossilized bones of mammoths and mastodons, identifying them, studying them and finally reassembling the skeletons to tower once again.
2013-12-20 - Johannesburg, United States.
A Chinese woman was sentenced to a R50 000 fine or three years´ imprisonment by the Kempton Park Regional Court on Wednesday for trying to smuggling ivory through South Africa, the SA Revenue Service said. “She attempted to smuggle 12.7kg ivory, two lion claws and 10 Pangolin scales to Hong Kong,” spokesman Adrian Lackay said in a statement.
2013-12-19 - Oakland, United States.
Joel Parrott, the Oakland Zoo CEO who earlier this month proposed a plan to develop an elephant reserve in Tehama County, assured county supervisors Tuesday that the reserve would not cost the county money, and water concerns would not be a prohibitive factor.
2013-12-16 - Portland, United States.
An online poll Friday asking, "Should the Oregon Zoo keep its elephants?" drew 5,332 responses. The results: Yes: 3,066 votes or 57.5 percent, No: 2,266 votes or 42.5 percent. The poll was prompted by news Friday morning that comedian-turned-animal-activist had emailed the Oregon Zoo and Metro, which operates the zoo. Her goal: persuade the zoo to send Packy, the zoo´s beloved, 51-year-old male Asian elephant to a sanctuary.
2013-12-16 - Salt Lake City, United States.
Eric Peterson works with a pair the zoo´s African Elephants. With the only spectators consisting of a couple of other keepers and a wandering rooster, Peterson interacts with the elephants in an extraordinary manner.Peterson, who commutes from American Fork each day, works as the zoo´s elephant manager.
2013-12-09 - Tehama, United States.
Representatives from the Oakland Zoo and Ndovo Foundation shared their vision Thursday at a Tehama County Planning Commission meeting of a 4,900-acre facility that at peak capacity would house around 50 African elephants.
2013-12-06 - New York, United States.
In Zoo Tycoon you can hose down a baby elephant and pull faces at a chimpanzee. The premise is fairly simple: you must build a popular, profitable zoo and care for all of the animals and visitors inside your gates. You can buy the PC game at the link to the right >>>
2013-12-04 - New York, United States.
So the team removed the sperm to examine the seminal plasma, the nutritive brew that helps fuel and protect sperm in the female reproductive tract. Good samples had higher volumes of plasma. They also found that a particular protein showed up in almost all of the good samples and almost none of the bad ones.
2013-12-02 - Ponte Vedra, United States.
In a traditional Hindu marriage ceremony, the groom travels from his city to the bride�s in a procession called a Baraat, entourage in tow, often riding a mare. �We were lucky enough to find an elephant,� Puja Roy said. It was Deepak Dugar�s first time aboard one. Tiny arrived late Saturday morning, said Cyndi Benzel, the wedding planner. She has used Tiny before, she said. Tiny is no newcomer to Hindu weddings.
2013-12-01 - Miami, United States.
On Wednesday morning Maude, a 41-year old Asian elephant at the popular South Miami-Dade attraction, died while receiving treatment for a severe digestive impaction. Essentially, Maude appears to have died of constipation.During a treatment session at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Maude collapsed and passed away in less than a minute
2013-11-27 - Miami, United States.
Zoo officials also announced that Asian elephant “Maude,†is gravely ill. “She has displayed symptoms of having a severe impaction in her digestive tract which has resulted in no bowel movements and an almost total loss of appetite,†said Zoo Miami’s Ron Magill in a press release. Maude arrived at Zoo Miami from the Central Florida Zoo in 2011. The elephant is believed to be age 40 and suffers from arthritis.
2013-11-25 - Springfield, United States.
Federal inspectors have found no issues with the care of an elephant that killed a zookeeper last month in Springfield. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which regulates zoos under the Animal Welfare Act, released a report last week that found “no non-compliant items.”
2013-11-25 - San Diego, United States.
Read the bullshit: >> "A coroner´s investigation later branded the death as the result of an accident, not an attack. A witness told reporters that Mila seemed to be trying to protect, not harm, Schofield." The coroner and the witness are they elephant experts? Not really...
2013-11-16 - San Diego, United States.
The 41-year-old elephant, named Mila, arrived in San Diego on Thursday, through collaboration with the Franklin Zoo Charitable Trust. Mila has been living at the Franklin Zoo since 2009, where she has been cared for and trained under a system of positive reinforcement. San Diego Zoo Global was a pioneer in development of this training system for managing elephants.
2013-11-15 - Los Angeles, United States.
Ivory stockpiles were destroyed in Kenya in 2011, Gabon in 2012 and the Philippines in 2013. But those events haven´t deterred poaching and the illegal trade of ivory, and raw ivory prices in China have doubled since 2011, said Godfrey Harris, a representative of the Political Action Network of the International Ivory Society.
2013-11-14 - Los Angeles, United States. Dr Daniel Stiles, IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group
Don´t give an incentive to criminals to kill more elephants. They see this as ivory getting scarcer, prices and demand going up. In response, USFWS will crush seized ivory, almost certainly sending a message to criminals that they had better step up their killing of elephants before all the ivory is gone.
2013-11-14 - Washington, United States.
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday offered a $1 million reward to help smash a Laos-based poaching network slaughtering endangered elephants and rhinos for their precious horns and tusks. The reward, the first of its kind by the State Department, targeted the Xaysavang network which operates from Laos as far afield as South Africa, Mozambique, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and China.
2013-11-14 - Denver, United States.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is about to destroy 6 tons of confiscated ivory being held in Denver — ostensibly to help the campaign against the illegal killing of elephants.But does the destruction of stockpiles really help the cause?
2013-11-13 - Denver, United States.
U.S. wildlife officials in Denver plan to destroy 6 tons of ivory to send a message against elephant poaching that has reached record levels. The ivory tusks, statues and jewelry that will be destroyed Thursday were confiscated by federal agents around the country.
2013-11-13 - Deep River, United States. Paula Kahumbu
Indeed, Deep River owes a steep debt to the African elephant. Nestled in the lower Connecticut River Valley, it and the nearby village of Ivoryton in Essex at one time processed up to 90 percent of the ivory that was imported into the United States. According to the Deep River Historical Society, it began with Phineas Pratt’s invention of the circular saw. This led to the area’s dominance in the production of piano keys—made of ivory.
2013-11-13 - Medford, United States.
Jumbo took the United States and Canada by storm as the headline act in Barnum and Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth. But in the fall of 1885, tragedy struck in the shape of a passing freight train. The elephant’s untimely death should have spelled the end of his career. Instead, the act of stuffing Jumbo transformed him into the stuff of legend
2013-11-11 - Erindi Private Game Reserve, United States.
This female hippo was flipped several feet into the air as she stood her ground against an aggressive elephant bull at the Erindi Private Game Reserve in Namibia.The elephant was grazing alongside a group of hippos, but took exception when the mother hippo ventured slightly too close. Amazingly, the mother emerged relatively unscathed from the attack, apparently suffering nothing worse than a little gash on her side - and a rather bruised ego.
2013-11-04 - Ellenton, United States. Michael Pollick
Ringling Bros. circus operator Feld Entertainment Inc. has asked a federal judge to make three animal rights groups pay $25.4 million in legal fees incurred by Feld during the activists´ unsuccessful lawsuit challenging Ringling´s use of elephants in circus acts. One of the original four complainants, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA, already paid Feld $9.3 million in December.
2013-10-31 - Los Angeles, United States.
Cheered on by animal-welfare activists, City Council members voted unanimously last week to make Los Angeles the only place in the United States to ban the use by elephant trainers of the implements known as bullhooks. Is this a case of animal-welfare activists going too far and pressuring elected officials to take a politically correct stand that really isn’t necessary?
2013-10-31 - Houston, United States.
Houston Zoo is making preparations for 23-year-old Asian elephant Shanti to give birth in January 2014. Shanti gets regular ultrasounds and zookeepers have been monitoring her weight and her diet and leading the expectant mother through a regular exercise program. The night watch pregnancy monitoring will begin in late November and will continue until the calf´s birth.
2013-10-28 - Hohenwald, United States.
The Lead Caregiver position is a working, front-line supervisory position. This position implements policies and procedures established by The Elephant Sanctuary with direction from the Director of Husbandry. Provides and supervises daily care of elephants utilizing positive reinforcement to manage elephant behaviors.
2013-10-27 - Los Angeles, United States.
Stephen Payne, a spokesman for Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey, argues they are an accepted tool and that the new law is misguided. “There are already laws in place — federal, state and local ordinances – that prohibit animal cruelty," said Payne. "So this is basically an animal rights driven bill to kick out the circus.” Payne says his company is waiting to see the exact wording of the new law, which will be phased in over three years.
2013-10-21 - Williston, United States.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Karen Parker on Monday said Diane Bedard was injured Aug. 26 by an elephant at Two Tails Ranch at 18655 NE 81st St. Bedard has been in the hospital since Aug. 26 with “life-threatening” injuries, Parker said. According to Parker, Bedard was at the house of the owner, Patricia Zerbini, taking pictures of the elephant.
2013-10-20 - Walcott, United States.
Three Toronto Zoo elephants en route to their new home in California have passed Chicago and Nebraska and are now travelling through Wyoming. Their convoy crossed the U.S. border early Friday after leaving the Toronto Zoo before 11 p.m. ET on Thursday. The pachyderm parade had a minor incident overnight in Walcott, Iowa, at what´s billed as The World´s Largest Truck Stop.
2013-10-17 - Kingman, United States.
Fritz and his wife Phyllis came to Toronto to investigate the project. Even though the money was there; and even though he had tons of experience and wasn�t afraid of facing down animal-rights people, Fritz said no. �It�s not the people of Toronto; it�s not the zoo; it�s the way the whole thing came together. �I took a look at that Toronto project and said �no thanks.� He said he and Phyllis �loved the city; but he couldn´t tolerate the politi...
2013-10-17 - Springfield, United States.
The morning of the incident, Patience hesitated in the chute, and elephant manager John Phillip Bradford, 62, was coaxing her forward. Bradford leaned into the chute, reaching for her with a guide. The animal suddenly lunged forward, knocking Bradford down, into the chute. The animal then crushed Bradford against the floor, killing him instantly.
2013-10-06 - Dallas, United States.
The Dallas Zoo welcomes you to Dallas for the 34th annual conference of the Elephant Managers Association. Please submit abstracts by July 15 to both Karen Gibson and Harry Peachey. Registration is $175 until August 15; $200 August 16 and later. Thursday, Oct. 10: Optional post-conference trip to the Oklahoma City Zoo.
2013-10-05 - Niabi, United States.
A trailer was inside the elephant enclosure at Niabi Zoo on Friday, October 4, 2013. Zoo Director Marc Heinzman said Asian elephants Babe and Sophie will eventually travel in the trailer, and that it was placed in the enclosure so the elephants could get accustomed to being inside of the trailer before they are moved. Heinzman did not give an exact timeline for the move. He previously confirmed the elephants would be gone from Niabi Zoo by the 2014 season.
2013-10-05 - Little Rock, United States.
The elephant, named Jewell, was euthanized after staff members discovered her lying on her side, unable to get up. Necropsy results showed that tissue from the elephant tested positive for tuberculosis, though the official cause of death will be listed as euthanasia due to arthritis and severe musculoskeletal problems, the zoo said.
2013-10-03 - Albuquerque, United States.
The newest addition is the third elephant born in New Mexico. Rozie was the first elephant born at the ABQ BioPark Zoo back in 1992. She gave birth to Daizy, her first calf, in 2009. The multi-generation herd includes Rozie, her mother Alice, daughter Daizy and brand new calf. An unrelated female, Irene, is also part of the herd and has been a good auntie. Samson and Albert, two young males, have formed a bachelor herd, and can be seen in yards adjacent to the females.
2013-10-02 - New Delhi, United States.
In a first experiment of this kind, the researchers recorded growls of tigers and leopards when they came upon elephants in the vicinity. There have been sporadic instances of use of predator sound playback to deter elephants or other animals, but in the long range they fail because the animals realize that it is a hoax. However, it is better to try out these methods than fight a costly and unjust war!
2013-09-20 - Tampa, United States.
Spike, the 32-year-old Asian elephant, arrived safely to Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla. Friday that will be his new home after a safe 2 1/2 day, 4,500 km journey from the Calgary Zoo. The zoo’s three female elephants are scheduled to depart for the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. early next year.
2013-09-15 - SACRAMENTO, United States.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus opens a four-day run in Sacramento Friday with animal handlers defending their treatment of the elephants. "Our animals receive the highest level of care," said assistant animal superintendent Ray Henning.
2013-09-14 - Houston, United States.
A $459,147 grant will support a research project focusing on elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV). The research resulted from a collaboration between Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston Zoo and now also includes Johns Hopkins University and the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory at the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park.
2013-09-14 - Wichita, United States.
The Sedgwick County Zoo will get about $31 million from the county over the next five years, giving zoo supporters a boost in efforts to expand the elephant exhibit. The zoo has two elephants and needs at least one more to meet new requirements for accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
2013-09-11 - Davis, United States. Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, , Davis, CA, USA.
Elephants retreated silently to tiger-growl playbacks, whereas they responded with aggressive vocalizations, such as trumpets and grunts, to leopard-growl playbacks. Elephants also lingered in the area and displayed alert or investigative behaviours in response to leopard growls when compared with tiger growls. We anticipate that the methods outlined here will promote further study of elephant antipredator behaviour in a naturalistic context, with applications for conservation efforts as well.
2013-09-10 - Washington, United States.
U.S. wildlife authorities say they will destroy six metric tons of illegal elephant ivory seized by customs agents. Whole tusks, carvings and other ivory material held in storage in the western state of Colorado will be crushed next month.
2013-09-09 - Little Rock, United States.
The Little Rock Zoo is sad to report the death of Jewell, a 62-year-old elephant living at the Zoo since 2011. The Zoo will be closed today as staff remove the elephant from the exhibit. Large equipment is in use and most pedestrian paths are blocked inside the Zoo.
2013-09-09 - Bakersfield, United States.
The protests have become a circus tradition in their own right. Animal rights activists show up outside circus venues to condemn what they consider to be inhumane treatment of exotic animals by traveling circuses. The circus industry sees these protests as well-meaning but wrongheaded.
2013-09-09 - Spokane, United States.
The Ringleader of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus says Carol the Elephant has made a full recovery and will make her first appearance Friday night, after being shot in Tupelo back in April.The circus is in Spokane, Washington this weekend.
2013-09-08 - Monroe, United States.
During Shirley’s long sojourn in Monroe, Solomon James was her principal keeper and caregiver. Both James and Shirley are featured in the Emmy Award-winning documentary, “The Urban Elephant,” made for National Geographic and PBS.
2013-09-08 - Portland, United States.
Construction workers digging the new elephant habitat at the Oregon Zoo discovered a human skull last month. Since then, archaeologists have found the remains of nine people buried within a six-acre area. The remains are believed to be people who lived at the Hillside Farm, a 160-acre poor farm owned and operated by Multnomah County. It was a place for the poor to get medical care, and often live out their last days.
2013-09-02 - , United States.
Thai police have arrested a Vietnamese couple for allegedly smuggling 105 kilograms of African elephant ivory from Angola to Cambodia through Thailand. Pham Ngoc Tuan and his wife Pham Thi Kim Chi were nabbed Thursday at Suvarnabhumi Airport after customs officials detected pieces from 23 African elephant tusks in their four suitcases, Bangkok Post reported Friday.
2013-09-01 - , United States.
A mechanical elephant built in the 1950s at an engineering works in a Lancashire village has returned home. Organisers said 250 people turned out for the official homecoming of Rajah to the former Luneside Engineering works in Halton, near Lancaster.
2013-08-31 - Pittsburgh, United States.
This week the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium hosted the International Elephant & Rhino Symposium, including a session Thursday at the International Conservation Center in Glen Savage. About 150 researchers, scientists and keepers from Africa, Europe and Asia attended the workshops. The last time the Pittsburgh Zoo hosted the symposium was in 1999. The International Conservation Center in Somerset County is believed to be the only one of it’s kind in the world. It’s home to five elephants an...
2013-08-25 - , United States.
Ronald B. Tobias has written a comprehensive history of the elephant in America. As tragic as it is comic, this enthralling chronicle traces this animal´s indelible footprint on American culture.
2013-08-24 - New York, United States.
Qiang Wang, a.k.a. Jeffrey Wang, 34, a New York antiques dealer, pled guilty on August 7 in Manhattan federal court to conspiracy to smuggle Asian artifacts made from rhinoceros horns and ivory and to violate wildlife trafficking laws. Wang was arrested in February 2013 as part of Operation Crash, a nationwide crackdown in the illegal trafficking in rhinoceros horns, for his role in smuggling libation cups carved from rhinoceros horns from New York to Hong Kong and China.
2013-08-21 - Washington, United States.
A $2 million gift from businessman David Rubenstein will allow the Smithsonian´s National Zoo to nearly double the size of its Asian elephant herd. The zoo announced Tuesday that it will receive three female elephants in an open-ended loan from the Calgary Zoo in Canada, which is relocating its elephants to more suitable habitats. The move will be funded entirely by Rubenstein, a co-founder of the Washington-based private equity firm The Carlyle Group. In 2011, Rubenstein gave $4.5 millio...
2013-08-16 - Portland, United States.
Mitch Finnegan said Wednesday that Rama, who started treatment about three weeks ago, began rejecting the oral portion of his drugs on Saturday. Packy´s treatment stopped one day after it started about 10 days ago because the Asian elephant went into musth, a periodic condition during which bulls´ testosterone spikes. Often, bulls in musth grow aggressive but Packy simply turns uncooperative, making it impossible for keepers to medicate him.
2013-08-10 - Albuquerque, United States.
Zookeepers say blood tests indicate that Rozie the elephant´s calf will likely be a girl. The window for her giving birth is between August and November, but keepers suspect the calf may come in mid-September. The BioPark´s elephant manager, Rhonda Saiers, says the zoo is excited about the potential of adding another female to the multigenerational herd. Still, there´s a chance the gender test could be wrong.
2013-08-10 - Springfield, United States.
Dickerson Park Zoo announced today that its oldest elephant, Connie, is battling kidney disease. She is not expected to recover. The estimated 50-year-old elephant - nicknamed “Pinky” - was born in the wild and came to the zoo in November 1981 from the Zoological Gardens in Abilene, Texas. She has exceeded the average life expectancy for an elephant cow, which is about 47 years.
2013-08-01 - Pittsburgh, United States.
Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium say a young bull elephant is being treated for a non-contagious autoimmune disease that is preventing skin lesions from healing. Zoo officials announced the illness in a news release Thursday and planned a news conference to provide additional information
2013-07-26 - Portland, United States.
A Multnomah County health official says members of the Oregon zoo staff, who have had contact with an elephant infected with tuberculosis, tested positive for the disease. A spokesperson for the Oregon Zoo would neither confirm nor deny that members of the staff tested positive for the disease.
2013-07-23 - Washington, United States.
What people really don´t know about PETA is that if they got their way, not only would they ban meat, milk, eggs, honey, leather, or fur. There would also be no more silk, wool, down feathers, fishing, circuses that use any kind of animals even domesticated, horse back riding, live animal shows, aquariums, zoos *even if they´re AZA approved*, hunting, service animals for disabled people, even pets.
2013-07-13 - Fort Worth, United States.
The Fort Worth Zoo is asking the public to help find a name for its newest bundle of joy - a 330-pound baby elephant The female Asian elephant was born Sunday. The calf´s mother is 40-year-old Rasha. The father is Groucho, the zoo´s 43-year-old bull, who is on loan to the Denver Zoo. Her sister, Bluebonnet, is 14.
2013-07-11 - San Diego, United States.
San Diego County Fair visitors, inspired by two of the five America’s Elephant Ambassadors, Rosie and Becky, donated over $5,000 to fight a virus that is fatal to young elephants. Before the fair opened, Have Trunk Will Travel held a news conference at Del Mar´s Dog Beach to encourage San Diego residents to donate to International Elephant Foundation
2013-07-01 - New York, United States. Michael Daly
In a tale that interweaves the electrocution of a gentle giant with the electrification of America and the rise of the big top circus, �Topsy,� by Michael Daly, reports that the elephant of the title was not the serial man-killer portrayed by those seeking to justify her wrongful execution.
2013-06-26 - Portland, United States.
Keele, 60 and that community´s most longtime employee -- he´s been there for one-third of the zoo´s 125 years -- will retire Friday. The man who began his life´s work as a less-than-ambitious 18-year-old cleaning up after rats and armadillos, evolved with his zoo. It embraced changing animal welfare standards and a conservation ethic, while Keele rose to be a respected, no-nonsense leader in one of Portland´s signature institutions, and one of North America´s ...
2013-06-26 - Denver, United States.
Billy, a 5-year-old Asian elephant, has safely arrived at Denver Zoo after traveling from Amsterdam. The young bull, the third male elephant in the zoo’s Toyota Elephant Passage exhibit, will support the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan with valuable genetics as he is unrelated to any elephants in the US.
2013-06-24 - Nevada County, United States.
Truly, we have listened and continue to listen to the feedback – both the opposition of the elephants at the Fair, and to those that support the Board’s decision to invite the elephants to the Fair. To better explain our decision to welcome the elephants to the Nevada County Fair, our decision was based on the following facts
2013-06-21 - Tupelo, United States.
A circus elephant is traveling but not yet performing, two months after being injured in a drive-by shooting in Mississippi. Carol, a 39-year-old Asian elephant, spent several weeks recovering at a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus farm in Springfield, Mo. Carol was shot in the shoulder April 9 after performing at BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo, Miss.
2013-06-15 - New Bedford, United States.
Emily and Ruth, Buttonwood Park Zoo’s beloved elephants, are staying put permanently but they will be the last of their kind to live in the West End wildlife park, Director of Zoologicial Services Keith Lovett said. “Truthfully, we’re struggling to find a facility out there that could provide better care for Ruth and Emily (than us),” Lovett told The Standard-Times editorial board Friday morning.
2013-06-06 - San Diego, United States.
I´ve written about viral diseases such as herpes before. But until this morning I didn´t know that elephants can get it. Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus is killing baby elephants. A conservation group stopped by the U-T San Diego offices to show off two adorable examples of what they´re trying to save.(Read comments on the page!)
2013-06-02 - Portland, United States.
The male elephant tested positive for the illness last week. The zoo routinely tests all its elephants for TB by taking an annual trunk culture (collecting fluid from the animal’s trunk and sending it to a certified laboratory for testing) as part of its comprehensive health program and in compliance with U.S. Department of Agriculture standards.
2013-05-18 - Okeechobee, United States.
The family group, consisting of two adult female and two subadult male African elephants, arrived this week and made history as our very first residents. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Elephant Taxon Advisory Group supported the animals’ move to The Center as part of a Species Survival Program (SSP). Previously the four animals lived at an AZA-accredited facility in central Florida.
2013-05-04 - Cincinnati, United States.
The Cincinnati Zoo´s oldest Asian elephant is celebrating her 40th birthday with a special pachyderm-sized cake and a serenade. My-Thai has been at the zoo since she was 9 months old. She has been a zoo ambassador, marching in Cincinnati Reds´ Opening Day parades and handing out the first pitch to folks on the pitching mound.
2013-05-03 - Washington, United States.
The zoo announced Friday that Bozie, a 37-year-old Asian elephant, will join three others in Washington. In March, a 46-year-old elephant named Judy died at the Baton Rouge Zoo, leaving Bozie alone. Bozie is considered beyond her reproductive years. Once she arrives, she will be quarantined for 30 days.
2013-04-29 - Ruskin, United States.
As elephant herds with circuses grew larger, Craven is credited as being the innovator of the pyramid type elephant act in America introducing long mounts on bull tubs etc. The first being with Howes Great London and later improved versions with the Forepaugh Show and Cooper & Bailey. He later became a successful Animal Dealer and the owner of a large ranch near Dallas, Texas where he died Jan. 16, 1890.
2013-04-28 - Colorado Springs, United States.
Encounter Africa is the result of the zoo’s largest capital campaign, a two-year effort that raised $13.5 million through foundation and individual gifts, including $42,000 from zoo staff. The zoo is one of only a handful nationwide that don’t receive support from tax dollars.
2013-04-26 - Baton Rouge, United States.
Judy, the Asian elephant that died recently at Baton Rouge Zoo, died from chronic gastrointestinal irritation, a side effect from arthritis treatment, according to the animal’s necropsy results. “When dealing with an illness, one must use extreme caution when prescribing a treatment due to possible undesirable side effects. Through consultation with various zoo veterinarians, we used 12 different drugs to treat Judy,†zoo veterinarian Gordon Pirie said in a news release Friday...
2013-04-26 - Baltimore, United States. Gary S. Hayward, Johns Hopkins University
As a discoverer of elephant endotheliotropic herpes viruses and the developer of diagnostic DNA fingerprint tests used to confirm suspected cases worldwide, I can attest that much of what has been written in the popular press recently about EEHV is wrong or misleading.
2013-04-23 - Knoxville, United States.
Whether an organization permits free or protected contact training of elephants, operant conditioning through positive reinforcement can still serve as the basis for behavioral training. I asked my colleague, Jim Naelitz, the Curator of Elephants at the Knoxville Zoo to weigh in on the topic and answer some questions.
2013-04-23 - San Antonio, United States.
Zoo leaders met Tuesday to decide Luckys fate in the wake of last month´s death of Boo, the zoo´s other Asian elephant. Zoo director Steve McCusker met with elephant staff and other managers and opted to keep Lucky as a sole elephant, said zoo spokeswoman Debbie Rios-Vanskike.“We´re not even going to attempt to move her anywhere or bring in another elephant at this time,†Vanskike said.
2013-04-11 - Tupelo, United States.
Dr. Schmitt, one of five veterinarians who cares for the organization´s animals, has worked with pachyderms for decades. He said Carol, the 39-year-old Asian elephant struck by a bullet Tuesday morning, has been alert and active since the injury. "My estimation would be that she should be back to full recovery in six to eight weeks," Dr. Schmitt added.
2013-04-11 - New York, United States. pseudocode
Authorities say the two owners of a Hudson Valley auction house have been charged with breaking state law by trying to sell stools made from elephant feet. The owners, 60-year-old Mary Jo Garlo and 70-year-old Peter Francese, were charged with illegal commercialization of wildlife.
2013-04-10 - Tupelo, United States.
m US-Bundesstaat Mississippi ist ein Elefant verletzt worden. Jemand hat auf das Tier geschossen. Der Elefant stand auf dem Zirkusgelände in der Stadt Tupelo, als er in der Schulter getroffen wurde. Das Tier gehört dem "Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus".
Tupelo police are investigating a shooting involving an elephant with the Ringling Bro´s and Barnum & Bailey Circus. The shooting took place around 2:00 a-m at the BancorpSouth Arena. Police tell WTVA that a vehicle drove by the arena and fired at the animal.A veterinarian that travels with the circus, and is an elephant specialist is flying to Tupelo later today. The elephant is alert and moving around. The animal is expected to make a full recovery.
2013-03-25 - San Antonio, United States.
When Lucky arrived at the San Antonio Zoo, John F. Kennedy was president. Fifty-one years later, the female Asian elephant still is there, having lived at the facility through the moon landings, the Reagan and the Clinton years and the new millennium. Following the death last week of her fifth and latest enclosure-mate, Boo, zoo leaders are discussing the future of their elephant exhibit and about where Lucky will live out her days.
2013-03-25 - Wallingford, United States.
The circus brought 13 elephants to Wallingford that summer, but left with only a dozen. On July 1, the Meriden Record reported that the circus left at 5 a.m. on June 30, “but ‘Miss India,’ a 2,600-pound cow elephant, didn’t know it. She died several hours earlier.” According to the article, Miss India was 25 years old, the youngest and most pleasant-tempered of the “40 tons of elephants in the show.” It was believed she died of a heart attack at about 2:30 a.m. on June 30.
2013-03-25 - New York, United States.
Animal rights and environmental extremism pose a significant domestic terror threat. To date, extremists have been responsible for more than 1,800 criminal acts and more than $110 million in damages. Currently, we are investigating approximately 170 such extremist incidents across the country.
2013-03-24 - Washington, United States.
Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to sniff and touch it. With their unparalleled sense of smell, the animals know exactly what they are going for. Vision is secondary. But as soon as an elephant picks up a stick, its nasal passages are blocked. Even when the stick is close to the food, it impedes feeling and smelling. It is like sending a blindfolded child on an Easter egg hunt. What sort of experiment, then, would do justice to the animal´s special anatomy and abi...
2013-03-23 - Washington, United States.
A 1930s-era elephant house built with individual stalls that drew a rebuke in 2006 from an animal rights group has been transformed into a wide-open new elephant community center with a soft sand floor and wading pool at the Smithsonian´s National Zoo. On Saturday, the zoo will open its new "Elephant Trails" area to the public, following a $56 million overhaul completed over the last seven years. It´s a major expansion, more than tripling the living and socializing space for the zoo&...
2013-03-22 - Maryland, United States.
Samson, the young male elephant who was diagnosed with a deadly virus at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore late last month, has continued to recover in recent days and has "turned a very positive corner" in his treatment, according to zoo officials. "His energy levels are very close to normal again, he´s much brighter and a lot of his symptoms have either gone away or are nearly gone," Michael McClure, general curator for the zoo´s animal department, said Thursday.
2013-03-19 - San Diego, United States.
While the OC and LA County fairs banned elephant rides, the 22nd District Agricultural Association Board of Directors of the Del Mar Fairgrounds maintained it´s 2011 decision to renew a contract with an elephant ride company. "The documented history with all of the animal care and regulatory agencies that license and inspect us, including USDA/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is evidence of outstanding care and treatment of our elephants," stated the email. "We are happy to give...
2013-03-19 - Winston, United States.
Wildlife Safari keepers presented the animal park’s newest resident by coaxing out the 35-year-old African elephant with food. Tava moved to the animal park late last month from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif. She joins the park’s two other African elephants, George, 32, and Alice, 43.
2013-03-12 - Fellsmere, United States. John Lehnhardt
February was a big month for The National Elephant Center. We have reached a major milestone and continue to look ahead to a promising future with the first elephants arriving this spring. Crews have finished the first phase of construction, which saw the completion of a large barn with paddocks, a keeper work center for three large interconnected pastures providing the elephants with more than 20 acres to roam.
2013-03-11 - San Antonio, United States.
The San Antonio Zoo says Boo, its female Asian elephant, has died. The zoo euthanized her Sunday because of a debilitating weakness. Boo was 59 years old. The Zoo’s senior veterinarian Dr. Rob Coke and his staff performed several tests to determine the cause of Boo’s declining health. The zoo says in a press release that specific blood tests revealed abnormal white blood cells indicative of lymphoma or blood cancer.
2013-03-11 - Niabi, United States.
Many animal-loving Quad-City children donated their savings, raised money at school or opted to forgo birthday gifts in the name of Niabi Zoo’s campaign to raise money for a larger home for elephants Sophie and Babe. Those contributions helped pay for an expanded elephant yard that is three times larger than the one the two Asian elephants have occupied for years. The larger enclosure does not satisfy size requirements by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, but it gets Niabi closer to a pos...
2013-03-07 - Washington, United States. Patti Strand
Animal rights tactics are specifically designed to give the animal rightists the opportunity and freedom to express lies, while preventing others from speaking the truth. They are designed to intimidate non-believers into fear-based tolerance of the cult of animal rights, thereby enabling the movement to amass ever-greater political and financial clout.
2013-02-24 - Portland, United States.
Mike Keele, one of the nation´s leading experts on Asian elephants, this week told co-workers he plans to retire in June after 42 years at the Oregon Zoo. Keele, 59, started at the zoo in 1971. He was 18 and fresh out of Southeast Portland´s Marshall High School.
2013-02-24 - Phoenix, United States.
Elephant Care Conference Tusks & Feet, Husbandry & Health Hosted by the Phoenix Zoo Featured Speakers: Dr. Murray Fowler, Alan Roocroft- Elephant Consultant, Dr. Dave Fagan- Dental Specialist Topics to be covered: Husbandry and Medical Access to Captive Elephants, Restraint in Protected Contact, The Importance of Radiographs and Radiograph Techniques, General Elephant Foot Anatomy, Habitat Design That Supports Elephant Foot Health, Elephant Foot Care Tools and Other Equipment, Elephant Foot Care...
2013-02-23 - San Diego, United States.
This position requires extensive working experience with mammal care and management. An example of experience would be a minimum of fifteen years. Experience with mammal protected contact management, operant training and conditioning is required.Selected candidate must also have experience managing animal care personnel. An example of experience would be at least seven years.
2013-02-23 - Hohenwald, United States.
An inspection held in late January identified concerns by the USDA in the areas of The Sanctuary’s staffing, training and our health care delivery, which resulted in 2 citations by the USDA. Due to lack of sufficient number of trained employees, several elephants are not yet trained in procedures necessary for completion of routine husbandry tasks such as routine foot care, entering chute or allowing blood collection. (USDA 1/31/13 Inspection Report)
2013-02-17 - San Jose, United States.
After two longtime Bay Area animal rights activists sued Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for allegedly harassing them as they tried to videotape the backstage treatment of animals, the federal jury hearing the case began deliberations in San Jose on Valentine´s Day afternoon. And it was soon clear that the jurors didn´t buy what activists Deniz Bolbol and Joseph Patrick Cuviello were selling.
2013-02-17 - Galt, United States.
Diagnosed with throat cancer in July of 2010, she fought her way through radiation and chemotherapy and continued to deal with side effects from treatment, including anemia. In early fall of last year came the news that cancer had returned.
2013-02-09 - Portland, United States.
The Oregon Zoo now has the legal rights to elephants Lily and Tusko after buying them from Have Trunk Will Travel, the zoo announced Friday morning. The zoo purchased Tusko and Lily for $400,000, thus voiding its loan agreement with the California-based company, said Kim Smith, the zoo’s director. Tusko was on a breeding loan since 2005 and sired elephants Lily and Samudra.
2013-01-16 - Indianapolis, United States.
Staffers are busy assembling 300 bones of "Fred the Mastodon." Chief Curator Ronald Richards says they believe the bones are about 13,000 years old. Richards says they´ve spent months building a steel frame upon which to mount the bones. However, he says the bones themselves are authentic. Richards says more mastodon discoveries have been found in the Indiana area than any other state. He says the exhibit will be about nine feet high and 20 feet long.
2013-01-13 - Fellsmere, United States.
On schedule and under budget. That´s the word on the first phase of construction on the National Elephant Center being developed about 3 miles north of downtown Fellsmere. Located on a 225-acre site, the National Elephant Center is a collaboration of 73 accredited zoos and will provide a place for aging elephants and transient elephants being relocated between zoos. The first of up to nine elephants that could be served during the first phase of the project could arrive in the spring. When...
2013-01-09 - TAMPA, United States.
The African elephant birth is the second in the zoo´s history, and the first born in Tampa from the rescued herd. The newborn, sired by Sdudla, a Swaziland bull, is significant to the population because the calf introduces new DNA into the gene pool of elephants managed in North America, which averages three or four births each year.
2013-01-08 - Vienna, United States.
The ASPCA sued Ringling Brothers, but ended up paying the circus $9.3 million to help cover its legal bills. Tom Rider, the star witness for the plaintiffs, proved to be problematic. Even though he referred to the elephants as his “girls†and claimed to have a “personal†and “emotional†attachment to them on par with the one he had for his two daughters and his grandson, he was unable to identify the elephants in videotaped footage.
2012-12-26 - Los Angeles, United States.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus train has been bringing four-ton Asian elephants to this city since 1919. But “The Greatest Show on Earth” might have made its last stop here. Los Angeles is poised to ban elephants from performing in circuses within its city limits, after pressure from animal welfare advocates who have for decades condemned the methods used to train and transport elephants as abusive and cruel.
2012-12-22 - Denver, United States.
Kimbo, a 42-year-old female from Fort Worth Zoo, arrived Thursday night and is getting to know her new digs at Toyota Elephant Passage, Denver Zoo said in a news release. Kimbo brings the elephant population back to four as she joins Dolly, the other female, and bulls Bodhi and Groucho. Dolly is 47, Bodhi is 8 and and Groucho is 41.
2012-12-19 - Los Angeles, United States. Deborah Olson
L.A. City Council´s proposed ban on elephants performing in traveling shows such as circuses paints a romantic picture of elephants as gentle giants. The editorial board seems to buy into the animal extremists´ idealistic scenario of happy, fat pachyderms lazily wandering the open plains of Africa or the jungles of Asia, free of disease and conflict with humans.
2012-12-13 - Detroit, United States.
A researcher has confirmed that two 11-year-old boys found a mastodon bone over the summer while exploring a southeast Michigan yard.The Detroit News reports Eric Stamatin of Macomb County´s Shelby Township and his cousin Andrew Gainariu of Troy found the bone near a stream while exploring Eric´s backyard. Eric says it looked like a rock, but a hole made them think it was a bone.
2012-12-13 - Portland, United States.
Next Tuesday, Oregon Zoo officials are expected to ask the Metro council for $4 million to $5 million to offset high construction costs of the new elephant habitat and other projects, and to exercise the Metro´s option to buy about 200 acres in Clackamas County for a remote elephant center.
2012-12-12 - Denver, United States.
Dave Johnson, elephant keeper at the Denver Zoo has written a children´s book, called The Elephants of Denver and is using all proceeds from it to travel to Nepal and work on conservation. While Johnson is in Nepal, he will be supplying other environmentally-passionate people with things they need. For example, an anti-poaching team needed a faster way to get around, so he and his colleagues bought motorbikes for them.
2012-12-09 - Portland, United States. Katy Muldoon, The Oregonian
The zoo will keep the calf. Have Trunk Will Travel is in good standing with government agencies that grant its licenses and oversee animal-welfare laws. When it comes to captive elephants, cooperation across the spectrum of animal exhibitors is business-as-usual. Public zoos, private zoos, circuses, theme parks, traveling shows -- operations with radically different missions, messages and profit motives -- are all in it together because elephants are big business.
2012-12-09 - Seattle, United States.
Communicating the very serious threat to elephants in the wild — and working to save them — are the most important reasons to have elephants in zoos, write two members of the Woodland Park Zoo board of directors. Seeing, hearing and smelling elephants can spark a very personal, emotional connection that inspires people to help elephants in the wild.
2012-12-05 - Portland, United States.
Have Trunk Will Travel has no intention and has never had any intention of coming to take Rose-Tu´s calf. Have Trunk Will Travel supports Oregon Zoo´s vision for elephants and has great appreciation for the way they care for elephants. We are very proud of the significant contribution we have made together for Asian elephants. We could not be more excited about the birth of this new calf.
2012-12-05 - Los Angeles, United States. Deborah Olson
The Times´ editorial Monday on the L.A. City Council´s proposed ban on elephants performing in traveling shows such as circuses paints a romantic picture of elephants as gentle giants. The editorial board seems to buy into the animal extremists´ idealistic scenario of happy, fat pachyderms lazily wandering the open plains of Africa or the jungles of Asia, free of disease and conflict with humans.
2012-12-04 - Seattle, United States. Woodland Park Zoo
Recently, the Seattle Times published a two-part series on elephants in zoos. Woodland Park Zoo’s approach to elephant care and our attempt to help perpetuate the species by inseminating Chai, one of our Asian elephants, was highlighted in what we believe was a very biased and inaccurate slant. We would like to provide you with information that was not included in the series of stories.
2012-11-20 - Syracuse, United States.
A 15-year-old bull elephant has joined the elephant herd at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, zoo officials said today. Doc, who came to the zoo from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation, arrived at the zoo on Thursday, officials said. Doc replaces 40-year-old Indy, the zoo´s long-time resident bull. Indy left the zoo Friday and now resides at Dickerson Park Zoo in Springfield, Mo.
2012-11-16 - Tulsa, United States.
The Tulsa Zoo´s oldest resident is turning a very young 62 years old. Gunda the elephant will celebrate her birthday Friday at 11 a.m. Zoo officials are inviting everyone to stop by and wish Gunda a happy birthday as she digs in to her very own giant-sized cake to celebrate her big day. To commemorate Gunda´s birthday, the 62nd person to enter the zoo will receive free admission.
2012-11-15 - San Diego, United States.
Responsibilities for this position will be to work mostly with a collection of elephants in a protected contact management system at the San Diego Zoo’s Elephant Odyssey Exhibit. The keeper will work closely with senior keepers, lead keeper and Animal Care Supervisor to develop the skills necessary to become an integral member of a progressive elephant husbandry and training program.
2012-11-13 - Knoxville, United States.
Knoxville Zoo 1.2 currently houses African elephants and we are looking for an Elephant Keeper with 2+ years of experience. This person is responsible for a wide variety of tasks involving the husbandry of several area species, the daily upkeep of keeper and public areas and interpretation with zoo guests. The individual must be able to carry out the duties typical of a keeper and comply with Knoxville Zoo policies and procedures as they appear in the employee handbook and departmental protocols...
2012-11-07 - Little Rock, United States.
Provides supervision to Animal Keepers and other assigned Zoo personnel in a designated area of the Zoo; ensures that duties such as feeding, cleaning, and special projects are completed; ensures observance of safety procedures; provides training for assigned personnel and volunteers. Develops, implements, and maintains best practices in elephant care through modern principles relating to captive care.
2012-11-04 - Santa Barbara Zoo, United States. EMA
2012-11-02 - Nashville, United States.
Under the direction of the Curator of Mammals, the Elephant Manager assists in animal acquisition, husbandry programs, daily maintenance and development of Keeper routines, animal enrichment, behavior modification, exhibit design, staff selection and staff development.
2012-10-30 - New York, United States.
Chandanis great-great-grandfather was a mahout, an elephant trainer. The skills are usually passed down to the sons, but Chandani has no brothers and she wants the job. In this documentary film that feels like fiction, Chandani breaks with tradition and challenges everyone’s beliefs that a girl cannot train an elephant. Her father brings her a baby elephant and she eagerly takes up the challenge of getting him, and herself, ready to ride in the Perahera, a noisy festival where decorated e...
2012-10-30 - Venice Beach, United States.
A skeleton believed to be that of a prehistoric mastodon was uncovered near Venice Beach. Representatives of the Smithsonian Institution and the National Geographic Society were called to the scene to debunk or confirm the find. Both groups were able to confirm the find as real.
2012-10-29 - Portland, United States.
Despite years of important scientific discoveries about elephants — many of them made right here in Portland — pinpointing a pregnant elephant´s due date remains something of a mysterious art. With a 22-month gestation period, the longest of any mammal on the planet, giving birth "a little early" can mean several weeks. Currently, the best predictor is blood-progesterone level, which remains high throughout pregnancy and drops precipitously a few days before delivery.
2012-10-24 - Hugo, United States.
Since the age of 5, Armando Loyal has been in the circus, with Kelly Miller Circus and a sister circus. His first performance was as a bareback rider. Before the circus, the Neosho Daily News asked Loyal some questions about how he got started in the circus, along with what are his duties in the circus today.
2012-10-23 - San Diego, United States.
In 1988, Huell attended a touching reunion between Charlie Franks, an 80-year-old elephant trainer, and Nita, the elephant he had raised from a baby of five years. When Charlie retired in the early 1970s after traveling the world with his beloved performing elephant, he donated her to the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and hadn’t seen her for 15 years.
2012-10-21 - Princeton, United States.
Why do elephants have hair on their heads? After combing through the evidence, a team of scientists at Princeton University has teased out the answer: To keep them cool. Unlike other animals whose hairy covering helps keep them warm in cold weather, the sparse hair of the elephant which tends to be found in hot climes helps carry heat away from the animal´s skin and into the air, a study by Princeton University finds.
2012-10-21 - Hope, United States.
Asian elephants Rosie and Opal arrived safely today at Hope Elephants in Hope, according to the nonprofit that has been working for more than two years to bring the retired circus animals to Maine. Rosie and Opal have joint and muscle ailments and are the first residents of the Hope Elephants facility, which was created by Dr. Jim Laurita, a Cornell educated veterinarian, and Tom Laurita, his brother.
2012-10-13 - Topeka, United States.
THE PUBLIC MEETING ON ELEPHANTS IS TODAY AT 2:00 IN THE GARY CLARKE LIVING CLASSROOM AT THE TOPEKA ZOO. IF YOU ARE COMING TO THE MEETING, ADMISSION IS FREE. HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! TEMBO AND SUNDA WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. THEY LIKE IT HERE!
2012-10-11 - Topeka, United States.
For 46 years, the Topeka Zoo has had elephants within their animal collection. Now, thousands of animal rights activists from outside our community- around the world - are urging the Topeka City Council to send our elephants to The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald Tennesse. We do not believe this is in the best interest of Tembo and Sunda.
2012-10-11 - Denver, United States.
Mimi, a beloved, female Asian elephant at Denver Zoo passed away October 9. Zookeepers had been offering her hospice care recently as she had displayed a natural decline in health over the past few months due to her advanced age. Born in India, Mimi´s birth date is not known. However, at the time of her passing she was believed to be at least 53 years old, making her the seventh oldest elephant in a North American zoo.
2012-10-06 - Plymouth, United States.
Well-known Alaskan wilderness guide Karen Jettmar was sentenced to three years of probation in a U.S. District Court last Friday, after the court found her guilty of helping Plymouth Meeting resident Robert Franz steal a 10,000-year-old mammoth tusk from a state park in 2007, the Alaska Dispatch reports.
2012-10-06 - San Antonio, United States.
A Texas fisherman says he made a pre-historic discovery while fishing on the San Antonio River. He claims he found a Mastodon tooth in it´s shallow waters. Davy Villanueva says he saw it in about a foot of water that was exposed because of the drought. He says he´s also found other bones there, but because of the rains, the area is now covered up.
2012-09-25 - Topeka, United States.
Topeka Zoo Director Brendan Wiley spoke out Tuesday night (9/25) out on the latest complaint against the zoo. It´s from animal activists to the USDA, and it calls into question video you´ll only see on 13 News and wibw.com. In the video, you can see Asian elephant Sunda run toward the zoo´s African elephant Tembo.
2012-08-30 - Boston, United States.
The federal government asked a judge Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a group of animal rights activists who say a rarely used 2006 law has a chilling effect on lawful protest activities. Five activists represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights sued the U.S. government last year, asking that the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act be struck down as unconstitutional.
2012-08-29 - San Diego, United States.
Early Tuesday morning, a new female African elephant calf was born at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, boosting its pachyderm population to 13. The calf´s mother, Swazi, delivered the 205-pound baby at 3:39 a.m. and within minutes, the calf was on her feet, Safari Park reported. The last calf to be born at the park was last November, said spokeswoman Jenny Mehlow.
2012-08-28 - Evansville, United States.
History Lesson is a pictorial history of Evansville compiled by Patricia Sides, an archivist with Willard Library. contributed photo Drought of 1936 When Karl Kae Knecht photographed this scene at Mesker Park Zoo in July 1936, he noted that the temperature was 107 degrees. Kay the Elephant, the zoo´s most celebrated resident after her arrival in 1929, obviously enjoyed the refreshing showers she received from her caretakers. The newspaper reported that the sizzling heat had entered its thi...
2012-08-21 - Dallas, United States.
Responsible for the care, husbandry, and training of the African Elephants. We are a protected contact elephant program, with 5 African elephants in a mixed species exhibit. Must have 3 years of Elephant experience.
2012-08-20 - Santa Barbara, United States.
The Santa Barbara Zoo is seeking a keeper for our Elephant Team. The person filling this position will carry out all basic aspects of the daily care of the elephants, including, but not limited to: training, enrichment, maintenance of exhibits, and enhancing the guest experience. This position is part of a dynamic and progressive Animal Care team.
2012-08-08 - Oklahoma City, United States.
We’re currently seeking a dynamic individual to work with a dedicated and highly motivated pachyderm team that would be responsible for varied taxa, including rhino, hippo, Asian elephants in restricted contact, and small primates. This person will work with associated staff as needed to enhance day-to-day operations including collaborating with other zoo personnel in reaching departmental goals and the presentation and development of guest experiences that support the Zoo’s mission and core...
2012-08-02 - Saint Louis, United States.
Ellie, one of the Saint Louis Zoo’s Asian elephants, is pregnant with her third calf. Ellie has two other daughters, 6-year-old Maliha, 16-year-old Rani. Ellie is also the grandmother of Rani’s daughter, Kenzi, who was born in June 2011. Now in her third trimester, Ellie is carrying another female calf. Ellie is due to deliver in the spring of 2013. The father is 19-year old Raja, the first Asian elephant ever born at the zoo in 1992.
2012-07-20 - San Diego, United States.
One of the two elephants brought to the San Diego in a trade with counterparts in Tucson in February was euthanized due to an infection, the San Diego Zoo announced today. Connie, an Asian elephant believed to be 45, was put down after a thorough veterinary examination that included specialists, the zoo´s Yadira Galindo told City News Service.
2012-07-05 - Miami, United States.
Zoo Miami reports that on Tuesday they had had to put down one of their most cherished residents, Machito, a 32-year-old African elephant who came to live with them back in 1981. Several weeks ago, the impressive pachyderm appeared stiff and soon his condition progressed to include lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss and labored breathing, according to the zoo.
2012-05-07 - Miami, United States.
2012-05-04 - Hope, United States.
Two retired circus elephants are ready to move to Maine after the federal government gave its approval. Hope Elephants, a nonprofit group, plans to bring the animals to a new rehabilitation center built in town by this fall. The group already received town approval and the state approved the elephants’ move in September, according to Justin McAnaney, director of operations.
2012-04-28 - Racine, United States.
For more than 100 years, a once-famous elephant trainer who was fatally gored by a pachyderm that went berserk,rested in an unmarked grave at Mound Cemetery in Racine. Not a shred of evidence showed that this patch of earth covered the burial site of renowned elephant trainer Joe Anderson. But 113 years after the Great Wallace Circus Show came to present-day Racine, when Anderson was gored by an elephant in his charge and died on June 3, 1898, his grave has a headstone. And members of the motorc...
2012-04-25 - San Diego, United States.
The first ever YouTube upload, featuring one of its founders talking about elephants, is seven years old today. The site has grown remarkably in the intervening years, with an hour of video being uploaded to the site every single second and the Google-owned company inking deals with a number of major content producers.
2012-04-15 - Dallas, United States.
The Dallas Zoo´s oldest elephant, Stumpy, died Friday, officials announced. The elephant was 47 and was believed to be one of the five oldest African elephants living in the United States, the zoo said. Dallas Zoo veterinarian Dr. Tim Storms said the cause of the elephant´s death had not been determined yet, but her health reportedly had been failing in recent weeks because of her age.
2012-04-14 - Portland, United States.
Packy the elephant celebrated his 50th birthday today by becoming the first animal knighted by the Royal Rosarians, listening to thousands of fans sing him Happy Birthday and swallowing a 40-pound cake in nine minutes and 57 seconds. The 12,600-pound pachyderm and face of the Oregon Zoo debuted on April 14, 1962, the first elephant born in North America in 44 years.
2012-04-10 - Honolulu, United States.
The nation´s leading accrediting organization for zoos and aquariums has renewed Honolulu Zoo´s accreditation. The new elephant exhibit that opened in December was a critical element, the city said. The new home for Mari and Vaigai is 1.5 acres, nine times larger than the previous exhibit. It also contains two 50,000-gallon swimming pools. The city also increased staffing and improved signage, two areas the Association of Zoos and Aquariums pointed out as deficiencies in a previous i...
2012-03-22 - Memphis, United States.
She was due to give birth in just a few months, but officials at the Memphis Zoo say that its 29-year-old African elephant has suffered a miscarriage. An ultrasound expert and veterinarians examined “Gina” Sunday and confirmed that the unborn calf had died. "Our animal caregivers, researchers and staff have been working for a very long time on this pregnancy, and everyone here at the Memphis Zoo is deeply saddened by this turn of events," said Dr. Chuck Brady, the Memphis Zoo´s preside...
2012-03-11 - Fellsmere, United States.
After 32 years working with elephants in various zoos, John Lehnhardt says he´s in familiar territory as the executive director for the National Elephant Center planned for Fellsmere. Lehnhardt, who was one of the center´s founding board members, agreed in January to be the first executive director and steer the project to opening. "I tried to retire," he said Wednesday, chuckling at leaving his most recent job last year, as animal operations director for Disney´s Animal Kingdo...
2012-03-08 - Albuquerque, United States.
Albuquerque BioPark’s 19-year-old Asian elephant is expected to have her second calf in November 2013, according to a news release from the zoo. Rozie is three months pregnant, and the average gestation for elephants is 23 months. We are cautiously optimistic because it is early in the pregnancy, said Rhonda Saiers, Elephant Barn Manager.
2012-03-08 - Calgary, United States.
Calgary Zoo officials hope the female elephant´s third try at motherhood will be a lot more successful than her previous attempts. Known as Rani by zookeepers, the 22-year-old Asian elephant initially rejected both of her calves, which both subsequently died. Rani is now 10 months along in a 22-month gestation period, meaning that she´s not due to give birth until February.
2012-03-03 - San Diego, United States.
Connie and Shaba, elephant pals from Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, are safely ensconced at the San Diego Zoo following a 10-hour journey during which they were housed in individual crates. Although the two females are to be kept in quarantine for six weeks, San Diego zoo personnel are already detecting interest from the Elephant Odyssey´s inhabitants. While Connie and Shaba are in a separate enclosed area, part of it is outdoors.
2012-03-01 - Pittsburgh, United States.
Pittsburgh Zoo has joined an international effort to establish North America’s first elephant sperm bank. The plan is to distribute from it semen collected from wild elephants in South Africa and frozen. Project Frozen Dumbo, started two years ago and led by a German researcher, has already set up an elephant sperm bank in France in the hope of resolving a similar predicament in Europe.
2012-02-29 - Tucson, United States.
Zookeepers are preparing elephants Connie and Shaba to leave for their new home. The beloved Reid Park Zoo elephants are going to live at a sanctuary in San Diego. There has been a big push to keep Connie and Shaba together, as they have been together for more than 30 years. The city received more than 16,000 emails from concerned citizens when there was talk of splitting up the elephants.
2012-02-28 - Tucson, United States.
There are two new faces at the Reid Park zoo. Lungile and Mabhulane (Mabu), two African elephants just arrived on Friday night. They came from the San Diego Zoo, where both have been staying since they were transported to the U.S. in 2003.
2012-02-25 - Dong Nai, United States.
A herd of wild elephants have been ravaging farmers’ fields in the southern province of Dong Nai for a week-and-a-half, according to local forest management authorities. The elephants have eaten up fields of corn, sweet potatoes, cassava and sugarcane in Hamlet 2 near the Vinh Cuu Nature Reserve in Phu Ly Commune, Vinh Cuu District.
2012-02-25 - Corvallis, United States.
Vernon Kessi was digging a sewer line for a new apartment complex last December when he saw something strange from the cab of his excavator: What Kessi and his power shovel unearthed that morning turned out to be the jaw of a mastodon, an extinct elephant-like creature that roamed North America until the end of the last Ice Age. A deposit of white, crumbly material that he could tell wasn’t rock.
2012-02-17 - Chowchilla, United States.
The Fossil Discovery Center in Chowchilla (Madera County), which opened in 2010, recently added a 13-foot-tall mammoth skeleton replica to fossils of saber-toothed cats, camel kin and the dire wolf, all unearthed from the ground adjacent to the center - which happens to be the largest Pleistocene-era fossil bed in the West.
2012-02-15 - Northridge, United States.
April 9, 1973: Shirley, 9, getting a scrub-up at Goodtime Car Wash before her next performance with the Miller-Johnson Circus at the Devonshire Downs Fairground in Northridge. May 21, 1976: Judy, 12, gets a wash in the ocean at Venice Beach with the help of trainer Bones Craig. The Circus Vargas elephant weighs 6,300 pounds. This photo was published in the May 22, 1976, Los Angeles Times.
2012-02-14 - Fulton, United States.
A Fulton Superior Court judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday that could prevent the county from enforcing animal control laws in the city of Atlanta, according to a Fulton County commissioner. Commissioner Rob Pitts said Judge John Goger´s order effectively blocks the county´s ban of the use of bullhooks by circus elephant trainers. The decision comes only days before Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to Philips Arena in Atlanta. The show will run from W...
2012-02-02 - Kansas City, United States.
Fewer U.S. zoos of the future may have elephants but those that do would have happier animals under a new policy requiring American zoos with two elephants to add space for a third in case one dies. Starting in 2016, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums will require room for three elephants if a zoo wants to retain the AZA´s coveted accreditation. "Elephants are social creatures, they require other elephants," said AZA spokesman Steve Feldman.
2012-01-30 - MORGANTOWN, United States.
Tina Dow has always had an interest in elephants. From her first Little Golden Book and frequent visits to the Pittsburgh Zoo as a girl, the Cumberland, Md., native´s love for the creatures has transformed into a career and a passion."In my backpack I still carry the first Little Golden Book that I was given as a child, and that was ´The Saggy Baggy Elephant,´" said Dow, a doctoral student at West Virginia University.
2012-01-30 - Wichita, United States.
Stephanie and Cinda have been two peas in a pod for 40 years, but the Sedgwick County Zoo needs to make room for a new friend for them. If it can’t, it risks losing the popular elephants. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is requiring that all zoos it accredits have space for at least three elephants by September 2016.
2012-01-25 - Kansas City , United States. MATT CAMPBELL
Penney the elephant was a favorite at the Kansas City Zoo for 40 years after coming here as a “mail order bride,” and she helped inspire a popular book and movie. But on Tuesday the four-ton animal was euthanized after it became clear she was losing her battle with arthritis and old age.Penney had long been arthritic and was being given ibuprofen, but her condition worsened over the last month and a half. Zookeepers upped her pain medication and were feeding her packed balls of grain and giv...
2012-01-23 - Vienna, United States.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® is sad to announce the passing of Banana, a 55 year old female Asian elephant. Since 2010, Banana has lived at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® in central Florida, where she spent time with the herd and was cared for by dedicated members of the Ringling Bros. animal care and veterinary team. Unfortunately, Ringling Bros. veterinary staff recently concluded that euthanasia was appropriate due to Banana’s declining hea...
2012-01-18 - Tucson, United States.
City of Tucson Parks and Recreation officials and staff from the Reid Park Zoo have been re-evaluating a decision to separate Connie and Shaba from one another. Today, after conferring with experts from San Diego Zoo Global, Reid Park Zoo staff, Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and the African Elephant Taxon Advisory Group (TAG), both Connie and Shaba will be relocated to Elephant Odyssey in San Diego. The decision to move Shaba to San Diego along with Connie allows Reid Park Zoo to conti...
2012-01-16 - Galt, United States. Dan Koehl
My earlier blogs Can elephants suffer in sanctuaries, as an effect of volonteers opinions? and Can Sambo and other elephants transmit tuberculosis to people? has become even more actual after the death of Sabu (Look Chai) at Performing Animal Welfare Society / ARK 2000 (PAWS). Sabu tested positive for TB (Tuberculosis) already in year 2000
2012-01-16 - Vienna, United States.
Feld Entertainment, Inc. announced today that a federal appeals court unanimously re-affirmed the judgment entered on behalf of Feld Entertainment, Inc. at trial and on appeal. Feld Entertainment, Inc., the producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus. , won the lawsuit that was originally filed more than a decade ago by animal special interest groups who ultimately sought to outlaw elephants in the circus. After losing at trial in 2009 and losing a unanimous appeal in October of 201...
2012-01-11 - Yorkshire, United States.
Now Yorkshire survivors of a wartime exodus of half a million people from Burma have seen their stories told in a newly published book Exodus Burma – The British Escape Through the Jungles of Death 1942 by Felicity Goodall. John’s father, A procession of 56 elephants, 22 women and 15 children through the mountains to safety in the first of two superbly organised caravans.
2012-01-10 - Azle, United States.
The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) today announced that it is providing more than $225,000 to support 19 elephant conservation projects for 2012. IEF-supported projects protect elephants from poaching, seek solutions for human-elephant conflict, equip and train community conservationists, increase our knowledge of the treatment and prevention of disease and educate people.
2012-01-07 - San Diego, United States.
Veterinarians performed an emergency procedure on Christmas after discovering a blockage in Cha Cha´s esophagus. They were able to remove the mass, but the elephant´s condition continued to deteriorate. Animal care staff made the decision to euthanize her on Wednesday. The second elephant, Cookie, was estimated to be 56 years old and had been at the zoo since 1981.
2012-01-06 - Williston, United States.
Happy Holidays from everyone at Two Tails Ranch! Santa is bringing us an early christmas present. A new Asian Elephant is set to help extend our conservation and breeding program here at the ranch, but we need your help. We are in need of roughly $10,000 worth of upgrades. We only have two weeks to get our ranch ready to receive the new Asian Elephant
2012-01-06 - New Bedford, United States.
A well-meaning animal rights activist from out of state, Deborah Robinson, and her organization, have had at least four, if not more, letters published in this paper suggesting that our elephants, Emily and Ruth, be sent to a sanctuary. To my knowledge, Ms. Robinson has never visited our zoo nor met Emily and Ruth. We, obviously, work with these animals every day.
2012-01-06 - Myakka City, United States.
When she’s not on the road, Catherine Carden likes to relax at her family farm in Myakka City. It’s a relatively normal household — with three very big exceptions. There’s Carden, her husband and their two sons, of course. And then there’s the three Asian elephants in the backyard.
2012-01-03 - TUCSON, United States.
Crate training is under way at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson as zoo workers slowly prepare for the day they say goodbye to Connie the elephant. Last month, zookeepers moved into Connie´s pen the crate she´ll be traveling in when the time comes for her to leave Tucson for good. The 42-year-old is being traded to San Diego for a herd of African elephants.
2012-01-01 - KOTA BARU, United States.
The elephant, named Awang Jerek, was sent to the national park on Thursday with the help of two tamed elephants Che Mek and Lokimala. Department director Rahmat Topani said the three-hour operation, which started at 9am, involved 18 workers of the National Elephant Conservation Centre in Kuala Gandah, Pahang. "Like in the previous operations, we had to use Che Mek and Lokimala to escort Awang Jerek to ensure that the translocation process to Terengganu went smoothly," he said. R...
2011-12-28 - Los Angeles, United States.
The woman, who has not yet been identified, crossed ditched and climbed fences -- barriers specifically meant to keep people like her out to get into the elephant sanctuary on what was a very busy afternoon at the zoo. The woman walked right up to the animals and even petted some of them while horrified onlookers screamed at her, trying to get her to leave the sanctuary which houses three elephants.
2011-12-26 - Houston, United States.
The Houston Zoo Inc. is seeking an enthusiastic professional to join our Elephant Team. This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a progressive elephant program. With a new exhibit and barn and continued elephant breeding, the Houston zoo elephant program has become a state of the art program and facility. We recently opened another new Elephant exhibit, tripling the elephant’s usable space.
2011-12-26 - Dallas, United States.
Responsible for the care, husbandry, and training of the African Elephants. Responsible for maintaining all aspects of daily animal husbandry. Responsible for exhibit maintenance and observation. Assists in veterinary procedures and research. Provides environmental enrichment. Actively encourages public interest in elephants through educational presentations, public relations and tours.
2011-12-22 - Anchorage, United States.
A man from Pennsylvania who planned to go fossil hunting in Alaska has learned the hard way that bragging about your ill-gotten stash can come back to haunt you. In this case, though, it´s the guide who helped him gain access to Alaska´s prehistoric treasures who´s suffering the consequences. On Dec. 14, a federal grand jury indicted author and outdoor guide Karen Jettmar on charges of conspiracy and removing a paleontological resource from federal land.
2011-12-20 - Winston, United States.
This is a full-time staff position responsible for the daily animal husbandry of a designated department or area. Works independently and in a team environment to apply highest standards of animal care, enrichment and training. Interacts with the public to educate them about the collection and conservation concerns, providing keeper talks and encounters. Works closely with the vet staff to maintain animals’ good health and well-being.
This is a full-time, working supervisory role, coordinating daily operations of the Elephant Section while under general supervision of the General Curator and assisting the General Curator in managing the animal collection of the Elephant Section. Senior Ranger is responsible for supervising keeper staff and regularly performs keeper duties.
2011-12-17 - Hope, United States.
Hope Elephants welcomes the community to its nearly-completed elephant care and rehabilitation facility in Hope on Tuesday, Dec. 27, at 3 p.m. for a behind-the-scenes tour and presentation in advance of the arrival of its first resident elephant, Rosie. Jim Laurita, executive director and curator of Hope Elephants, will give a short tour of the facility, a description of the care Rosie and a second elephant will receive at the facility, and a presentation on Asian elephants, including their habi...
2011-12-17 - Colombo, United States.
Sri Lanka Department of Forest Conservation says that 200 elephants and 48 men were killed in the human-elephant conflicts this year. Of these elephants, 75 were killed due to gunshot injuries, says the Deputy Director of the Department W.S.K. Navaratne. Another 22 elephants were killed by food traps laid by farmers and hunters. This explosive laden food detonates when the elephant munches it and the animal receives a painful death.
2011-12-17 - Santa Ana, United States.
The Santa Ana Zoo announced Friday that it has ended its 25-year-old elephant ride attraction to comply with changes in animal care and safety guidelines designed to protect zookeepers and trainers from being harmed by the powerful and moody land giants. The decision was based on policy changes adopted in September by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums, which accredits the Santa Ana Zoo. Santa Ana Zoo was one of the last two zoos in the United States encouraging visitor-elephant interactions.
2011-12-16 - Madera County, United States.
The biggest mammal ever to walk North America now lives in a museum in Madera County. On Thursday, the Fossil Discovery Center unveiled its new replica skeleton of a prehistoric giant. Center director Blake Bufford says it took three hours to set up the display of the mammoth that lived right here in the Valley about 10,000 years ago. But if you´re thinking "wooly," you´ve got the wrong mammoth.
2011-12-15 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The Oklahoma City Zoo added a bull elephant to its growing herd Tuesday as a male Asian elephant named Rex arrived about noon Tuesday after a 20-hour, 1,300-mile trip from Cambridge, Ontario. Rex was brought to the Oklahoma City Zoo to breed with the two female elephants, Asha and Chandra.
2011-12-10 - Powell, United States.
The 23-year-old named Hank arrived Thursday at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Plans are to breed him with the zoo´s females, Connie and Phoebe. Zoo Assistant Curator Harry Peachey says Hank has previously sired a calf. The elephant moved from Riddle´s Elephant and Wildlife Sanctuary in Arkansas. He was born at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and has also lived at the Bronx Zoo and at Have Trunk Will Travel in California.
2011-12-07 - Azle, United States.
The International Elephant Foundation (IEF) is thrilled to announce another major grant to help fund the National Elephant Herpesvirus Laboratory (NEHL) at the Smithsonian´s National Zoo. Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Feld Entertainment, Have Trunk Will Travel, the Oregon Zoo, and the Saint Louis Zoo were all major donors to fund IEF´s grant to the NEHL lab through the Smithsonian´s National Zoo.
2011-12-07 - Washington, United States. Alasdair Wilkins
No, we won´t be able to clone a woolly mammoth in the next five yearsA team of Russian and Japanese scientists recently announced that they have discovered pristine DNA samples of woolly mammoths, and they will clone a living mammoth within five years. It´s tremendously exciting...but almost certainly not going to happen. Here´s why.
2011-12-02 - Cincinnati, United States.
Cincinnati’s zoo has received an elephant-size gift from the foundation of the late Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott. She was a major supporter of the zoo and once donated an elephant named Schottzie. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden director Thane Maynard says the $5 million contribution from the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation is the zoo’s single biggest gift ever. Marge Schott died in 2004 at age 75.
2011-12-02 - Washington, United States.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals provides aid and comfort for the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and the Animal Liberation Front (ALF). The two groups are responsible for more than 600 crimes since 1996, causing (by a very conservative FBI estimate) more than $43 million in damage. ALF’s “press office” brags that in 2002, the two groups committed “100 illegal direct actions” -- like blowing up SUVs, destroying the brakes on seafood delivery trucks, and planting firebombs in re...
2011-11-30 - , United States.
Lifting equipment manufacturer R&M Materials Handling have been called on to help veterinary specialists in North Carolina lift a very unusual load, a 6.5USt partially-sighted elephant. A team of vets from North Carolina State University of Veterinary Medicine decided an operation to save the elephant’s eyesight was necessary, but the sedated C’sar had to be lifted into a suitable position to perform the procedure.
2011-11-30 - St. Louis, United States.
A documentary starring Flora debutes nationwide December 1st on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Circus Flora´s David Balding discusses the film, "One Lucky Elephant." Flora, the African elephant was the star of Circus Flora until she retired from the big top in 2000. Flora was moved to an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee. That´s where this story really begins: A documentary starring Flora debutes nationwide December 1st on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Circus Flora´s David...
2011-11-29 - Polk City, United States.
The USDA on Monday announced a $270,000 fine against the company that owns Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus and an elephant breeding facility in Polk County over its treatment and housing of animals. The United States Department of Agriculture reached an agreement with Feld Entertainment Inc. in which the company would be penalized for violating portions of the Animal Welfare Act between June 2007 and August 2011.
2011-11-27 - Bladensburg, United States. John Kelly
After last week’s column on George’s Pet Shop, Answer Man had mentioned that an elephant from George’s was sold to Jett’s Petting Zoo. Dan Koehl noticed that Jett’s sold an elephant to the Tucson zoo. Could it be the same elephant? Maybe.
2011-11-26 - Bladensburg, United States. John Kelly
As for elephants, George actually owned two over the years, baby Asian elephants that he purchased to rent out for political rallies, although a 1966 story in The Post said George was willing to part with his 4-month-old elephant from Thailand, for $5,000 to $6,000. One of the elephants was eventually sold to a traveling petting zoo called Jet’s. One was rented to a Republican convention where, Georgette said, it caught a cold. “Exotic animals are very, very frail,” she said. “It develop...
2011-11-25 - Daytona Beach, United States. Tom Johnson
"They say it´s a mastodon," said Leroy McDuffie. "I live right here on the corner and I´ve been watching them dig the project, and all of a sudden it came to a screeching halt." Archaeologists have already recovered some teeth and at least one tusk. "The tusks on that thing must´ve been massive," said McDuffie. "It had to be at least five foot long!" The historic find was sitting just 8 to 10 feet underground a block from McDuffie´s house.
2011-11-14 - Rochester, United States.
On Sept. 15, 1885, at St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Jumbo and a tiny clown elephant named "Tom Thumb" were being led along a railroad track when an unscheduled freight train appeared. Jumbo charged at the train and was killed in the ensuing collision. Barnum immediately summoned the best man in America to salvage something from the debacle – Henry A. Ward of Rochester.
2011-11-13 - New York, United States.
The bill, introduced this month in the House of Representatives by Virginia Congressman Jim Moran, aims directly at travelling circuses by seeking to outlaw exotic or wild animals from performances if they have been traveling within the previous 15 days.
2011-11-10 - Syracuse, United States.
Three of the Syracuse zoo´s elephants are finally back home after spending the past five years at a safari park in Canada. Ted Fox, director of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, says Mali and her 3-year-old son Chuck arrived at the zoo Tuesday afternoon, followed the next day by Targa. The pachyderms were carried from Cambridge, Ontario in tractor-trailer trucks specially designed to haul elephants.
2011-11-10 - COLORADO SPRINGS, United States.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo´s ´Encounter Africa´ project took another step Wednesday morning when crews demolished the old elephant barn to make room for the new exhibit. Elephant keepers got the first swings in with sledgehammers, then gave way to a wrecking ball, which made quick work of the vacant barn.
2011-11-09 - Snowmass, United States.
The site was uncovered on 14 October 2010, when a bulldozer ran into a number of mammoth bones at Ziegler Reservoir near Snowmass, Colorado. Palaeontologists were called out, including Kirk Johnson of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and found the nearly complete skeleton of a Pleistocene mammoth (Mammuthus columbi).
2011-11-09 - San Diego, United States.
After hearing three hours of passionate disagreement about how to treat elephants, the governing board of the San Diego County Fair rejected a request Tuesday from two high-profile animal-rights groups to cut ties with a company that brings elephants to the fair for children to ride. But board members voted 4 to 3 to revisit the issue in 2014 when new restrictive rules from the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums about elephants become effective. The new rules do not have the force of law, but the asso...
2011-11-09 - Denver, United States. Electa Draper
The two-year din of construction behind screened fences at Denver Zoo is being replaced by the pitter-patter of enormous feet — elephant, rhino and tapir. The almost-completed $50 million Asian Tropics exhibit is the zoo´s bid for greatness. Everything about the 10-acre exhibit — which must remain under wraps until late spring, when animal relocations, quarantines and training all will have run their courses — is meant to be a gee-whiz, eye-opening experience. And not just for the hu...
2011-11-04 - Denver, United States.
The arrival Thursday afternoon of a 7-year-old male elephant named Bodhi marked a new chapter for the Denver Zoo, where staffers excitedly welcomed the first of the bull elephants for which it built the $50 million Asian Tropics exhibit. Bodhi, pronounced BOH-dee, traveled by truck with an elephant manager, veterinarian and head animal keeper from the Columbus Zoo in Ohio to his new home — which is nearly completed and slated for a public opening in the late spring.
2011-11-04 - Honolulu, United States. Nina Wu
Sometime this month, Honolulu Zoo elephants Mari and Vaigai will take a short stroll to their newly expanded home that is 17 times larger than their old enclosure. The new $12 million elephant exhibit, measuring 1.4 acres, features an open dirt space, tall concrete planters, shady coves and two 55,000-gallon waterfall pools with overlooking viewing areas. It is skirted by a walkway leading from the gharial display to the African Savanna section, and is surrounded by an electrified...
2011-11-04 - Bedford, United States.
Trimble County High School recently received a special donation that was at least 8,000 years in the making - a mastodon tusk. Trimble County Superintendent Marcia Dunaway delivered the tusk to TCHS biology teacher Debby Griffin about three weeks ago. It was donated by Rick Leach, the plant manager of Nugent Sand Co. in Milton, who found it while digging in one of the company´s pits.
2011-11-02 - Philadelphia, United States.
The Philadelphia Zoo announced yesterday that Kallie, an elephant that was moved to the Pittsburgh Zoo´s International Conservation Center in 2009 - along with Bette, another African elephant - was moved again yesterday, this time to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
2011-11-01 - Cleveland, United States.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo´s elephant herd just grew to six with the arrival of Kallie from the International Conservation Center near Pittsburgh. When her quarantine is over in about a week, she will find three familiar faces: Willy, the bull of the herd, and females Martika and Shenga.
2011-10-31 - Seattle, United States.
For years, scientists dismissed Carl Gustafson´s claims that a pierced mastodon bone found in Sequim in 1977 was evidence that humans were hunting large mammals in North America 13,800 years ago. For almost 35 years, his find was ridiculed or ignored, the site dismissed as curious but not significant. New tests now show he was right.
2011-10-31 - Pittsburgh, United States.
The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is seeking experienced elephant keepers who would be interested in joining a progressive elephant management team, utilizing both free and protected contact. The successful candidate´s primary assignment will be at the Zoo’s International Conservation Center just outside of Berlin, Pa., about 100 miles east of Pittsburgh.
2011-10-25 - SYRACUSE, United States.
Anyone who has tried to get their pet across an international border knows that it can be difficult. Try getting three elephants across the border. That´s what officials at Syracuse´s Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park are attempting to do five years after sending two pachyderms to a safari park outside Toronto because the upstate zoo was getting crowded. While at the Ontario zoo, one of the elephants gave birth.
2011-10-20 - Washington, United States.
Other scientists scoffed when Carl Gustafson claimed that Stone Age people were hunting mastodons 14,000 years ago in the Northwest, a millennium before the appearance of the Clovis-style stone tools widely regarded as the signature of the first Americans. Gustafson found mastodon remains including a rib with a foreign piece of bone embedded in it near Sequim, Wash., in 1977. He concluded it was a weapon carved from bone or antler and hurled at the tip of a spear.
2011-10-12 - Jacksonville, United States.
The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is currently seeking a qualified candidate for the position of full time Mammal Keeper with responsibilities focused on the daily management and care of 1.3 African elephants. Desired skills include, but are not limited to, animal husbandry, operant conditioning, environmental enrichment, exhibit maintenance and minor repair. Candidates must possess solid observational and record keeping skills, an excellent safety record, a strong work history, and the ability t...
2011-10-12 - Houston, United States.
An elephant exhibit sets great zoos apart from the ordinary. That is why the Houston zoo is proud to announce the latest improvement to the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. The end result of two years of planning and construction, the latest addition represents a six-fold expansion of the Habitat since the opening of the 7,000 square foot elephant barn and improved viewing areas in June 2008. The new addition adds 1.5 acres to the elephant’s outside habitats.
2011-10-10 - Washington, United States.
The 36-year-old actor announced yesterday that he´s leading a new initiative, Elephants, Never Forget, to focus on the crisis that elephants face. "The ivory trade fuels conflict and strife," DiCaprio said. "Elephants are killed by poachers so their tusks can be traded for weapons and drugs by international criminal organizations before becoming trinkets and jewelry for consumers. Authorities in 85 countries have seized almost 400 tons of ivory on the black market since the 1989 ivory trad...
2011-10-06 - Memphis, United States.
The Memphis Zoo has an opening for a Keeper in our Elephant area. This position requires a minimum of two years of experience in pachyderm care, including knowledge of training concepts and philosophies needed to work with pachyderms and a varied collection of hooved animals and birds, and a college degree in zoology, biology or a related field (or the equivalent combination of education and experience). Significant experience with operant conditioning is required.
2011-10-04 - Hohenwald, United States.
Provides day-to-day care for elephants and endorses, practices and promotes the Protected Contact system of elephant management supervised by the Lead Caregiver.
2011-09-30 - Rochester, NY, United States.
The 32nd Annual Elephant Manager’s Association Conference hosted by the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY, could very well be one of the most important to date. In today’s internet age, elephant management is now a global effort, and this conference will feature presentations on elephant conservation and management partnerships and collaborations in the US and worldwide.
2011-09-26 - Front Royal, United States. Brooke Boening
Shortly upon completing her undergraduate studies in animal and nutritional sciences, West Virginia University Ph.D. student, Tina Dow, discovered a passion that would take her beyond the ordinary work environment: elephants. When Dow landed an internship at Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, R.I., in 2002, she quickly developed a fascination with the park´s African elephants.
2011-09-26 - San Diego, United States.
Early this morning (5:45 A.M.) Umngani the 21 year old African elephant gave birth to her third calf. A male. Mabhulane is now tied with Jackson for the most calves sired. Although their ratios are reversed: seven males and two females for Mabhu, seven females and two males for Jackson. This is the sixth consecutive male elephant born at the park. And the third (out of four) born this year.
2011-09-19 - Phoenix, United States.
A Practical Workshop on Elephant Footcare and Habitat. Design to support elephant health. Friday, September 23rd, 2011 - Optional Trip to Tucson’s Reid Park Zoo. Reid Park Zoo provides participants to observe African Elephant Footcare.
2011-09-16 - Pittsburgh, United States. Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University
The blood from woolly mammoths is helping scientists develop new blood products for medical procedures such as heart and brain surgery. Many such operations require artificial hypothermia to be induced by drastically reducing the patient´s body temperature.
2011-09-07 - Fellsmere, United States. Eric Pfahler
Plans for a National Elephant Center on the Treasure Coast are back, although the location has changed. The group looking to house elephants now plans to locate in Fellsmere instead of western St. Lucie County. After squabbles with St. Lucie County commissioners over restrictions, the organization is expected to apply for permits on Thursday on 225 acres in northern Fellsmere, currently an unused private citrus grove surrounded by farmland near the Brevard County line.
2011-08-26 - LAKE BUENA VISTA, United States.
The elephant herd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom got just a little larger with the birth of a baby calf. Weighing 311 pounds, the male African elephant was welcomed into the group by his mother Vasha, 10 herd members and a team of animal care professionals assisting with the birth. The 25-year-old mother delivered the herd’s sixth offspring after gaining more than 800 pounds during a 22-month gestation. This latest addition, which has yet to be named, is the second calf for Vasha, who gave birth...
2011-08-24 - New York, United States. Rachel Raskin-Zrihen
New rules recently adopted by the nation´s animal facility oversight agency may mean the end of Six Flags Discovery Kingdom´s popular elephant encounter attraction. The new policy, approved Monday, prohibits "free contact" handling of elephants in favor of the so-called "protected-contact" elephant management method, according to information from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) website.
2011-08-08 - Pittsburgh, United States.
Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium say they´re still waiting for South African officials to ship elephant semen to the United States so the zoo can establish North America´s first elephant sperm bank. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://bit.ly/qS5twH ) says the zoo has been working on the plan for nearly two years, but they´ve had difficulty getting export and import permits for16 liters of semen being stored in the National Zoo´s BioBank in Pretoria, South...
2011-07-28 - Philadelphia, United States.
An African art dealer from Philadelphia was arrested on Tuesday 26 July and has been charged with illegally smuggling elephant ivory. Police seized one ton of ivory originating from Africa, making it one of the largest seizures of ivory to be illegally imported to the United States. The suspect, Victor Gordon, stained and dyed the ivory to create the impression that it was old.
2011-07-14 - Tyler, United States.
Caldwell Zoo is saddened to announce that our African Elephant bull “Chico” passed away suddenly Saturday July 9. At the time of his death he was 46 years old and the oldest African bull in North American zoos. Chico had not exhibited any signs of illness prior to his death. A team of pathologists from Texas A&M University along with Caldwell Zoo veterinarians performed a necropsy and at this time the cause of death is undetermined pending further test results.
2011-06-08 - Little Rock, United States.
Two retired female circus elephants have arrived at the Little Rock Zoo to keep Ellen company. Full information is on the jump. Jewell is 60. Zina, the one with the hairy legs, is 50. Both are Asian elephants. The elephants came from the Ringling Center for Elephant Conservation and arrived here early this morning following a 20-hour tractor-trailer ride from Sarasota, Fla. They seemed comfortable in their new home when we visited — trumpeting and harrumphing occasionally as they ambled about,...
2011-06-08 - Chandler, United States.
One of the more poignant lessons in forgiveness that Colleen Bennett has received is exemplified on the walls of her daughter´s bedroom. Lauren Bennett sleeps at the family´s Chandler home while surrounded by pictures of elephants. They remain her favorite animals, three months after she was attacked by one in Thailand. The incident left her with a life-threatening liver laceration and severe anguish for a family stuck half the world from home.
2011-06-07 - Knoxville, United States.
The Knoxville Zoo is fighting the citations and fines imposed upon them by the Tennesssee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) after the death of a worker. In January, elephant keeper Stephanie James was killed when an elephant named Edie pushed her into a steel beam.
The Knoxville Zoo has been fined more than $12,000 dollars after an inspection by TOSHA following the death of an elephant trainer. Stephanie James was killed in January when Edie, an 8500 pound African elephant, pushed her into a stall. The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) inspected the zoo after the incident, and their findings were released to 10News on Monday.
2011-06-04 - Charles Q. Choi, United States.
The woolly mammoth may surprisingly have regularly interbred with a completely different and much larger elephant species, researchers now find. Woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) roamed the planet for more than a million years, ranging from Europe to Asia to North America. Nearly all of these giants vanished from Siberia by about 10,000 years ago, although dwarf mammoths survived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean until 3,700 years ago.
2011-06-03 - Atlanta, United States. David Beasley
Queenie, a water-skiing Asian elephant who delighted fans in the 1950s, has been euthanized at the Georgia wildlife park where she lived her final years in retirement. "She had a declining quality of life and declining health," said Micha Hogan, public relations director of the Wild Adventures Water and Theme Park in Valdosta, where Queenie had lived out of the spotlight since 2003.
2011-05-19 - Asheboro, United States.
The oldest elephant at the North Carolina Zoo could not get to his feet after his Thursday morning training exercises, zoo officials said. Thirty-seven-year-old C’sar weighs 13,000 pounds, requiring the assistance of more than just a few zoo keepers to stand up.
2011-05-19 - Toledo, United States.
The Toledo Zoo is getting ready for a new addition -- a baby! This one´s going to big, nearly 300 pounds! Louie the elephant is about to get a sibling! Louie´s mother, Renee, is pregnant with her second calf. And her due date is any day now Imagine being pregnant for nearly two years! Mama elephant Renee has been with calf for 22 months!
2011-05-11 - Marseille, United States.
On a busy day, a veterinary clinic can seem like a zoo. But Tuesday afternoon at the Marseilles Veterinary Hospital it was more like a circus. Tuesday morning the hospital received a call asking if someone could inspect an elephant that was being transported with eight ponies from Florida to Baraboo, Wis. The elephant needed a health certificate to cross into Wisconsin, hospital technician Melissa Peterson told The Times.
2011-05-11 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The baby elephant born last month at the Oklahoma City Zoo has been named Malee. Zoo officials announced the name at a ceremony Wednesday in the zoo´s new elephant habitat. Malee (pronounced MAY-lee) was chosen in an online vote. Malee, which is Thai for flower or jasmine, garnered more than 70 percent of the 14,000 votes cast. Zoo officials billed Malee as the zookeepers´ preference out of the three names offered. Other options were Annika and Hanako.
2011-05-10 - , United States. Das SK, Chattopadhyay S.
The study attempts to find out the nature of injuries caused by wild elephant attack and the common factors contributing to human-wild elephant conflict so that vulnerable population can be cautioned to avoid conflicts. A distinct seasonal as well as diurnal variation of attack incidences was noted. Attacks were sudden and unprovoked. Killer elephants were wild tuskers in all the cases.
2011-05-06 - Little Rock, United States. Lindsey Fry
The long-lived life of Little Rock Zoo´s Mary the elephant ended peacefully Thursday, May 5, 2011, when the 60-year-old pachyderm was euthanized after her health took a sharp decline in the last few days. During the procedure, Mary was surrounded by the loving Zoo staff that cared for her including several staff members who worked with her for the more than 10 years she lived at the Zoo.
2011-04-15 - Oklahoma City, United States.
The pregnant Asian elephant at the Oklahoma City Zoo has gone into labor and is expected to give birth late today or early Saturday. Asha and her calf are both doing well, the zoo´s veterinarian said this morning.
2011-04-12 - Honolulu, United States.
We, as emotional beings, place a high value on happiness and joy. Happiness is more than a feeling to us - it’s something we require and strive for. We’re so fixated on happiness that we define the pursuit of it as a right. We seek happiness not only for ourselves and our loved ones, but also for our planet and its creatures.
2011-04-11 - St. Louis, United States.
St. Louis Zoo says it´s a mystery how 40-year-old Asian elephant Donna contracted tuberculosis. No other elephant or keeper has tested positive for the illness. "We assume elephants get TB like any other animal," said the zoo´s director of animal health, Dr. Randy Junge. "An animal or human who has TB blows it out and another animal can pick it up. It takes prolonged contact. But we have a closed herd with no animals coming or going."
2011-03-27 - Cleveland, United States.
Lisa Leeman´s documentary traces the relationship between circus owner David Balding and his main attraction, not just in the show but in his life. Balding raised the 18-year-old only to realize when she turned 16 that he´d made a mistake. She needs to be with other elephants, even if it means being apart from her human companion.
2011-03-27 - Portland, United States.
Packy made his entrance at what´s known today as the Oregon Zoo the first elephant born in the United States in more than 40 years. Matthew Maberry was in the elephant barn that morning and he recalls every detail in "Packy & Me: The Incredible Tale of Doc Maberry and the Baby Elephant Who Made History." Maberry, 93, wrote the memoir with his wife, Patricia, and Michelle Trappen, a former reporter for The Oregonian.
2011-03-25 - Knoxville, United States.
The Jan. 14 death of Stephanie James, the Knoxville Zoo keeper who died after being pushed by female elephant Edie, was accidental, a review panel has found. The zoo also announced Thursday that Edie and its other female elephant, Jana, will be permanently cared for by keepers in what´s called ´protected contact.