For Steve and Radar--Sunken temples

These two elephants are 48 and 32 and have almost no sign of sunken temples. Would that indicate that they are healthy Radar, or would that indicate that they are young, Steve?

Have you ever seen a young [or youngish] elephant with sunken temples?

I consider "young/youngish" one to thirty years old, and yes I have, and been around a number of them. Radar considers "youngish" to be middle age. As their average life expentancy is around 50 - 70 years(rare occasion in captivity 85) we can assume Radars "youngish" is 35 to 45, and he hasn't seen a middle aged elephant with sunken temples, unless it was Sick and emaciated - ie, underweight or diseased

April 2009
Belfast should brace itself as two retired circus performers pack up their trunks and make their way to the city’s zoo.

Asian elephants, Jenny (48) and 32-year-old Dunja, left their home in Hanover Zoo, Germany yesterday for the three day journey to their new home in north Belfast.

The Asian Elephant breeding programme recommended the zoo here as the best location for a placement for the ex-circus elephants.

They are pictured bidding auf wiedersehen to their German friends, hopefully comforted by the prospect of a friendly welcome in Belfast

Klaus-Michael Machens, director of Hanover Zoo, said: “Of course we’re delighted to find Jenny and Dunja such a good retirement home.

“But we’re also very sad to see them go. Jenny’s lived here for over a quarter of a century – she’s a real Hanover celebrity. We’ll all miss her very much.”

Alyn Cairns, curator of elephants at Belfast Zoo, said the team were excited about the newcomers.

“This year we changed our elephant husbandry techniques. We now care for non-breeding females in a protective contact environment.

“It’s like a retirement home for older elephants that have their own space within the confines of a enclosure.”

Tina, the grand old elephant of the zoo, was joined in February by elephant Yhetto, who came from Krefeld Zoo, Germany.

With the large delivery this weekend, the zoo will now care for four Asian elephants, all of whom will be receiving visitors this Easter.

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I wonder if this feel good statement was made because these elephants are "ex-circus elephants" and what difference does it make?:

Klaus-Michael Machens, director of Hanover Zoo, said: “Of course we’re delighted to find Jenny and Dunja such a good retirement home." Yet Jenny lived in Hanover for over 25 years. Good retirement home from Hanover Zoo or from the circus?

If Alyn Cairns, curator of Belfast Zoo's elephant department, isn't on TES and PAWS publicity department payroll, it is a shame. They should as least give him a high five or a pat on the back for endorsing their idea of what is a happy, healthy elephant and why it need's to be out of a zoo and into their private Idaho :

“This year we changed our elephant husbandry techniques. We now care for non-breeding females in a protective contact environment.
“It’s like a retirement home for older elephants that have their own space within the confines of a enclosure.”