I grew up going to the Zoo in Portland, Oregon. It was known for it’s family of elephants and the excellent care they received. I remember meeting one researcher who had parked herself just outside the elephant observation area with some interesting recording devices. Turns… Read More »Disney Animal Researchers discover Elephant Warning Call
Back in April I wrote about Disney’s Animal Programs important work on Elephant vasectomies as part of my coverage of the 10th Anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney has recently announced that the team from Disney’s Animal Programs will be leading an international coalition of… Read More »Disney’s Animal Programs improves Elephant Population Control
Disney’s Animal Kingdom recently welcomed a new baby elephant into the world. Isn’t he cute.
26-year old Moyo, the mother, gave birth to a 327-pound male elephant June 28 after 21 months gestation. 22 months is the average gestation period, and the longest of any land mammal. Both Mother and son, as yet unnamed, are reported in good condition and expected to survive.
This is the fourth elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Tufani, who is Moyo’s first male calf, was born in 2003; Kianga, a female, was born in 2004; and Nadirah, the youngest female, joined the herd in 2005. All remain on the savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Moyo herself came to DAK in 1997 from a zoo in Tacoma, WA after her capture in the wilds of Zimbabwe in 1983.
Having toured the facilities and met with the Animal Care team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom I can vouch for the amazing level of care they provide for the animals they supervise. The Animal Care program goes well above and beyond the AZA rules for care and breeding. So much that many of the AZA breeding program studbooks are run by DAK staff.
The full Press Release is below the cut:
Read More »New Baby Elephant Welcomed to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Fair warning to the men in the room you may want to avert your eyes in sympathy for our fellow mammalian males during this story. Southern Africa has an elephant over population problem. Specifically in South Africa and Botswana Elephant overpopulation in wildlife parks and… Read More »Elephant Population Control Project – 10 Years of Caring: Disney’s Animal Kingdom