From Berlin Zoo Guide Book dated 1954. It's obvious that this baby is very malnourished, and close to starving to death.
Friday, May 16, 2008
On the subject of baby elephants--Berlin Zoo
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
8 comments:
Wow....I have never seen anything like that, maybe the fattest baby elephant ever.
One of the greatest arguments of cirus elephants v. zoo elephants is the fitness level provided doing those hind leg stands, parade walks, etc. Obesity is one of the several causes of foot problems in elephants, hence becoming part of one of the largest causes of death in captive elephants. While this is improving, foot care has been taken to the extreme, with people hacking at their feet three times a day in some instances. As my father put it to me, in protected contact situations it is the only time keepers are able to have contact with the animals, thus increasing the repitition. This makes for unfavorable healthcare!
Ryan,
Good comment. The reverse argument of circus elephants vs. zoo elephant is the destruction/harm done by hind leg stands, parade walks, etc. An elephant goes to it's hind legs unaided for a very minuscule time in it's entire life. In a circus elephant it will go to it's hind legs five or six times a day for extended periods for it's entire life. How many leg problems attributed to "old age" are caused by that performance stress? You and your father are dead on about the overly done foot care of the past 20 years or so. It became one of the most popular forms of "validating" your qualifications at a zoo, and the abuse led to, I believe, most of the recent causes of foot problems in captive elephants.
Wade
Absolutely Wade. You were able to put it more eloquently than I. And furthering your point of the argument, look at the damage done to elephants by hind leg stands. There is Vance in Canada (no disrespect at all towards Mike Hackenberger, my Dad considers him a great friend), as well as the Ringling calf that died falling off the tub. There are sides to both sides of the argument; some are right, some are wrong. The only mistake that can come from debating this topic is being ignorant to information of other position. Very good points Wade.
Ryan,
Consider this. What damage was already underway with Vance before Mike got him? The fall off the tub, was a terrible, unfortunate accident, just like your favorite horse slipping, and breaking a leg, or my Karma getting killed a year ago by somebody's ineptness. The animal rights movement went after Gunther Gebel Williams and Mark Gebel pretty hard given the famous names. They picketed Gunther's funeral, and were later arrested dancing on his grave. When he retired Nellie his teeter board elephant, because her "stomp" leg had become so stiff she couldn't bend it any more, I was there when he loaded her into the truck for the trip to Williston, and with tears in his eyes, looked at me and said, "young man, look at my poor Nellie. I did not know this would happen. I will never teach another elephant to do the teeter board." That Ryan, showed me a compassion, love, and respect that I have very rarely seen in a lifetime spent around animals. He wasn't bad because he caused it, he was good because he didn't cause it again.
Ignorance of information is excusable, hiding of information is damnable.
Wade
Wade, I'm sorry to bring up sad subjects, but I didn't know that your Karma was killed. Wasn't she your Courbette tigress?
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
Respectfully. I may discuss her with you when you are here, or I may not. The pain and the unjustified reason for her death 9 months ago may go away someday, but at this point it hasn't. I respectfully ask that you don't ask me again, and just wait for me to come to you.
Thanks,
Wade
Wade-
Absolutely. I agree with you 100%. Thank you for your insight, and also for that tale.
I really am at a loss for words otherwise - but the cogs are turning. lol
Post a Comment