Elephants Elephants - Wildpro - Twycross Zoo

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Summary for outdoor: All collections keeping mature bulls had separate
outdoor enclosures for them and all but one mixed the bull whenever possible
but Howletts have one incompatible young bull which is being moved to
another collection. Thus all but one collection (which is now changing its
management regime) are complying with guidelines.
Summary for separated at night: Eight collections carried out some form of
separation and stalling at night. All stalled females were in contact in the
same space. Most separation was bulls from cows.
Number of hours spent outdoors – summary: summer – range 6.5-24 hours with an
average of 13.75 (two collections left their elephants out all the time in
summer). Winter: range 4-18 hours with an average of 7.14. However most
collections gave their animals choice in the winter – but animals often
preferred to stay indoors. It was noted that another question is required re
choice of access to outside area.
Hours spent alone by bulls
For bulls over 12 this ranged from all the time to overnight depending on
variables such as musth, new calves present etc. All had contact through bars.
Group size
In the guidelines it states that the minimum group size is four cows over two
years and that reproductively active females should be kept with a bull. Four
collections (three Fed and 1 on non-Fed) keep fewer than four cows and three
(2 Fed and 1 non-Fed) with reproductively active females had no access to a
bull.
Summary: four collections did not keep the minimum herd size of cows and those
with females with reproductive potential had no access to bulls.
The elephants
Weights and heights
N.B. Weights above 1000 kg are estimated to the nearest 500kg
African Male Elephants - Weights
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
0 10 20 30
Age
7000
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Asian Male Elephant - Weight
0 5 10 15 20
Age
25 30 35 40