Elephant Keeper Blog

 

 

February 15, 2011

Our one year old elephant girl Mali has a great time in the deeper Bull Paddock pool with her mum Dokkoon and her favourite Aunty Num-Oi. This footage was all shot by keepers Erin and Andy and gets you closer than ever to our herd as they play in the water and mud. You can hear a wide range of vocal squeaks, rumbles and trumpets as our girls, and baby boy Ongard, play together.

February 2, 2011


Mali took her first big swim today. She has ‘graduated' from the paddling pool in the Cow Paddock via the deeper pool near the Bull Barn to the 4-metre deep pool near the Community Hall!

November 15

September 22 2010

September 13 2010

September 10 2010

 

August 25 2010

Keeper Lucas shows us some of the physical changes that Kulab has experienced over the final stages of her pregnancy and how the baby will travel from it's current spot out into the big wide world

July 16th
What's this trunk thingy for?

What's this trunk thingy for? from Zoos Victoria on Vimeo.

Our baby elephant Mali is now 6 months old and has tripled her birth weight! Her keeper Erin tells us about her latest milestones and adventures. She also shares how Kulab is coping with the final stages of her pregnancy and how the keepers are feeling about being 2nd time parents.

May 6th
Mali Hanging with the herd!


Keeper Lucas updates us on Mali's progress. She is now spending most of her day with the whole female herd, especially her best friend Num Oi. One of her favorite activities is her morning shower- very cute!

February 9th
Baby's first swim!

Zookeeper Erin tells us more about the calf's unique personality and our (as yet un-named) baby girl shows us why she has captured so many hearts already
 

January 12
Dokkoon takes a morning swim to beat the heat.
Photos taken by elephant keeper, Erin

Dokkoon takes a morning swim to beat the heat.

Latest news from elephant curator Jan Steele
January 12, 2010

Elephant reproduction specialist Thomas Hildebrandt has arrived from Germany and ultrasounds taken last week showed the calf was getting close to being in the right position for delivery. Recent blood tests have showed Dokkoon's progesterone levels have been falling so we were expecting her to give birth by last weekend.

However Elephants are one of the few mammals with the ability to delay giving birth if conditions are not right so the recent heat wave may have caused her to put things on hold. Given labour can last up to 52 hours for elephants it's a good thing she hasn't had to go through this in 40-plus temperatures.

Dokkoon has been very chilled out in the heat thanks to her relaxing hormones kicking in and to regular swims. The birth could still be delayed until the end of the month but my gut feeling is that it will be this week sometime. Fingers crossed!

Dokkoon takes a morning swim to beat the heat.
Dokkoon takes a morning swim to beat the heat.

Latest Video- 24th December, 2009 

Elephant keeper Tully Johns updates us on how the keepers and Dokkoon are coping with the very last stage of her pregnancy. We've been waiting for 22 months for the calf to arrive but these past few weeks have definitely been the longest.