Have you “Herd”?
Catch up with the Safari Park elephant herd’s latest goings-on
With 12 African elephants—the largest herd in any Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) facility—there’s always something happening at the Safari Park!
BY Donna Parham
Photography by Ken Bohn
Spend a bit of time at the Safari Park’s elephant viewing patio, and you are likely to run into a red-shirted volunteer like Eileen Jennings, who is here to share information and insights with Park visitors. She has spent hours observing the elephant herd, and has come to recognize the nuances of their behavior. “You might think the elephants are just standing around, minding their own business, but there’s so much going on, under the surface,” she says. “They’re all in tune with each other’s body language.” Certain elephants are large and in charge, while others are more submissive. And the youngsters are likely to test the limits of accepted elephant social behavior. Who knew that the elephant yard at the Safari Park had so much in common with any large family gathering? Let’s get to know the latest in this pachyderm Peyton Place.
HER MAJESTY
Swazi (center) is the matriarch, and she doesn’t hesitate to let the rest of the herd, including 6-year-old Qinisa (left) and 11-year-old Phakamile, know it.
MAMA DRAMA
The leader of an elephant herd is always a female—the matriarch. At the Safari Park, that’s Swazi. The other two adult females, Umngani (OOM-gah-nee) and Ndula (en-DOO-luh, short for Ndulamitsi) defer to her. All their offspring are part of the herd, too—up to a point. While females usually stay with the same herd their entire lives, “A mom pushes her son out when he’s a teenager,” says Curtis Lehman, animal care supervisor. Sometimes, these young males are content to strike out on their own, but they often form bachelor herds, and that’s something that’s happening at the Safari Park, too.
BULLISH
M’sholo (left) is the Safari Park’s adult bull elephant. Mabu (at right), who fathered all of the Safari Park elephant calves, recently moved to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona. While both elephants spent time with their herd-mates, they didn’t share space with each other.
MALE MUSCLE
Eventually, most older male elephants—usually the largest and most dominant—will breed with receptive females. In the wild, a dominant bull visits several herds in his territory, attempting to mate with as many females as possible. At the same time, he works hard to keep other males away.
Sometimes, two bulls face off: trumpeting, trunk wrestling, pushing, and tusking ensue, and while injuries are rare, they can be severe. So when bull elephants Mabu and M’sholo were both living at the Safari Park, they each had regular access to other elephants and the various expansive elephant yards, but they didn’t have physical access to each other. If they were together, Curtis says, “Eventually, they’d probably figure out who was dominant, and they might be just fine after that.” But he warns that with two 13,000-pound bull elephants, “There is the potential for harm, and it’s not worth the risk.”
ROLE MODEL
Bull elephant M’sholo (second from left) socializes with the herd. Such interaction is particularly beneficial for subadult males like Ingadze (center) and Inlonipho (right).
Click here to read more about the elephants rescued from a scheduled cull in Swaziland, and to see the elephants at the Safari Park in action!
FAREWELL FOR NOW, MABU
Bull elephant Mabu has moved on, to Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, Arizona. In zoos, elephants are bred according to the recommendations of the AZA African Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP). Based on these breeding recommendations, zoos send bull elephants—sometimes across the country—to female herds. This allows the herds to maintain their matriarchal social structure. For a bull like Mabu, on the other hand, moving in and out of different herds for breeding is typical, natural behavior.
In 2012, Mabu first traveled, with with 2 adult females and 2 of his 10 calves to Reid Park Zoo, to establish a herd there. He sired another daughter, Nandi, before returning to the Safari Park in 2016. While he was back, Mabu successfully bred with adult females Ndulamitsi and Umngani—so visitors (and Elephant Cam watchers) can expect the pitter patter of little(ish) elephant feet later in 2018. Ndulamitsi’s calf is due to arrive sometime in August or September, and Umngani’s calf should make its appearance in October or November.
While Mabu is now doing what bull elephants do best at the Reid Park Zoo, M’sholo, another bull, is at the Safari Park on loan from Lowry Park Zoo. Although he has yet to sire a calf, Safari Park elephant keepers “would keep him forever if it was up to us,” says Curtis. “He has great social interaction with the younger males.”
GROWING UP
Female Khosi (left) is becoming reproductively mature. Here she’s interacting with bull M’sholo.
GETTING TOGETHER
To keep elephants safe, it has been a common practice in zoos to keep bull elephants away from the rest of the herd except for breeding. But at the Safari Park’s spacious Elephant Valley, M’sholo wanders among the rest of the herd. “We had to be creative, space-wise, when Mabu was here, so that both bulls could socialize with the rest of the group—just not with each other,” says Curtis.
With Mabu on site, there were challenges. Mabu’s two oldest daughters, Khosi (KO-see), now 11, and Kami (KAM-ee, short for Phakamile), 10, complicated matters. Barbara Durrant, Ph.D., Henshaw endowed director of reproductive sciences at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, regularly examines urine hormone levels for each of the elephants. “Khosi has started cycling,” she says, indicating the spiked graph on her computer screen as evidence. And, she notes, Kami is not far behind, reproductively. So, keepers made sure to keep the two young females where they wouldn’t encounter their father Mabu.
Within these constraints, the keepers’ goal was to vary the yards where the elephants spend their time. Putting that into practice, though, sounds like a mind bender puzzle. “It was like playing a chess game every day, doing all these separations,” says Curtis. But “it was well worth the effort.” In fact, he credits the high-quality, complex social interactions he sees among the herd with keeping the elephants together as much as possible.
In particular, keepers note beneficial social development in male calves as they interact with bulls. “That’s a big plus for us, because the young males learn proper elephant behavior from their elders,” says Curtis.
TALL ORDER
Keepers go to great lengths (and heights!) to keep the environment enriched for the elephants. Reaching for hay that’s held high in a net mimics the way elephants browse on leaves in the wild.
The Elephant Cam (and the other remote cameras at the Zoo and Safari Park) are staffed thanks to our talented volunteers.
SETTING THE SCENE
“You want to provide all the elephants with opportunities for social interaction and with inviting space,” says Curtis. The Safari Park’s elephant habitats spread out over six acres, divided into two main yards and some smaller holding areas, and Curtis notes that the herd has “excellent spatial interaction, as far as the full use of the land that’s available to them.”
The keepers can take at least part of the credit for that. They put an enormous effort toward enriching each exhibit space. “It’s a daily challenge, to create an enriching environment, so the elephants have plenty of things to do. We have to be creative,” says Curtis. Visitors (and cam watchers) can see evidence of this creativity. Elephants forage for food and treats in feeding cubes that they can access only with their trunk. And reaching for hay that’s held high in a net mimics the way they’d browse on leaves in the wild.
BOUNCING BABY BOY
Emanti (right) was born out in the main elephant yard, so he’s spent time socializing with bull M’sholo (left) all his life.
BABY BOOM
The way the elephant team manages the herd has paid off in big ways. “We’ve had a bumper crop of babies,” says Barbara. The baby boom started in 2004, when Ndulamitsi, who arrived pregnant the previous year, gave birth to wild-sired Vus’musi. Safari Park bull Mabu sired the subsequent calves.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS
All born at the Safari Park, young males Emanti, Ingadze, and Inhlonipho frolic.
THE CALVES KEEP COMING
Elephants eMacembe (left), Khosi (second to left), and Ingadze (right)—along with five of their herd-mates—were all born at the Safari Park. Here they socialize with adult female Umngani (center) and bull M’sholo. Later this year, they’ll be joined by two more calves.
According to Barbara, female elephants are most successful at getting pregnant and bearing a calf between the ages of about 15 and 35, so our females are at their prime, reproductively. And bulls are intently in tune with female estrus and time of ovulation, detecting pheromones with their keen sense of smell. “Even with all our technology and science, we can’t come close the accuracy of the the nose of a bull,” says Barbara.
SHEER MUDNESS
Keepers create pools and mud wallows to provide environmental enrichment and encourage natural elephant behaviors.
BEHIND THE SCENES
At the Safari Park, elephant keepers arrive early to plan their day, prepare elephant diets, place enrichment opportunities, and shift the elephants. And when that’s done, there’s poop (and lots of it—two truckloads!) to be scooped. “Our day is nonstop,” says Curtis. “We have such a dedicated, hard-working team.”
With the enrichment, social interaction, and shared space that the team provides, they seem to have found the key to a happy herd of elephants.
MEET THE HERD
TEAM SWAZI
From left: Macembe, Swazi, and Qinisa
Swazi
Matriarch Swazi arrived at the Safari Park as an adult. Mother to eMacembe and Qinisa, she was the last of our Swaziland female elephants to reproduce.
eMacembe LaLu Hlata
Swazi’s first calf, male Macembe (muh-COM-bay) was born in 2010. His full name is SiSwati for “green leaves.”
Qinisa
Qinisa is SiSwati for “to act with energy” or “to speak the truth.” The “Q” is properly pronounced as a tongue pop (!), but her keepers call the little elephant “keen-EE-seh.” Currently the youngest in the herd, she was born in 2012.
TEAM UMNGANI
Clockwise from top left: Umngani, Khosi, Inhlonipho, and Ingadze
Umngani
Adult female Umngani (OOM-gah-nee), who came to the Safari Park as an adult, is mother to three calves, and pregnant with a fourth. Her name means “friend,” in SiSwati, accurately reflecting her sweet-natured personality.
Khosi
Umngani’s first calf was the first of the Swaziland calves conceived and born at the Safari Park. Born in 2006, female Khosi (KO-see) has recently reached reproductive age.
Ingadze
Gadze (GAD-zee) is Umngani’s second calf, a male born in 2009. His name is SiSwati for “garden.”
Inhlonipho
“Neepo” is Umngani’s third calf, born in 2011. His full name is SiSwati for “respect,” “honor,” or “good manners”—but it’s a mouthful. Hence the nickname.
NDULA AND SON
From left: Ndula and Luti
Ndulamitsi
Ndula (en-DOO-luh) came to the Safari park as an adult—a pregnant one! She gave birth to a male calf, Vus’musi, (voos-MOO-see), currently on loan to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo. She is also the mother of Lutsandvo.
Lutsandvo
Luti (LOO-dee) is Ndula’s second calf. In 2010, he was the first calf born out in the main elephant yard, with the rest of the herd present. His full name is SiSwati for “love.”
BROTHER AND SISTER
From left: Kami and Emanti
Phakamile
Better known as “Kami,” this female elephant was born in 2007, but for an elephant, she’s a teenager. Kami has a younger brother, Emanti. Her full name is SiSwati for “noble strength.”
Emanti
The younger brother of Kami, Emanti (ee-MAHN-tee) was born in the main elephant yard in 2010. His name, SiSwati for “water,” was selected in an online naming poll.
THE BIG BULL
M’sholo
M’sholo
M’sholo, another elephant rescued from a scheduled cull, is a bull on loan from Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. His name comes from the SiSwati for “appears from nowhere.”
I was not aware of the birth of little Umzula-zuli until this evening when I saw the new blog article announcement. Also the Elephant cam has been down down since late afternoon. I hope all is okay with the Ellies.
Why aren’t you saying anything about the new baby ????
Blog Monitor’s note: We are trumpeting the news! 🙂
Watching the first baby to be born this year. What a cuttie! The Mama’s and Aunties didn’t like the sprinkler spraying and it looked a little scary there for a moment, but they know what their doing. It was wonderful to see their quick response to keep baby safe as they all circled around Ndula and baby. Just like in the wild. 😉
It’s wonderful! Congratulations to ALL our Ellie Keepers and Curtis. You must be over the moon!
Hoping to get some information as to when when and where baby was born. I can’t seem to find any. Maybe the moniter can help?
I’ll be glued to the cam for months and months!
There’s a BABY in the yard!!!!
I just discovered the Giraffe cam!!! Thank you SDZSP, for this great cam!!! It’s beautiful to watch these community animals in their natural habitat, that’s huge! And see the other wild animals such as ducks. Seeing this only makes me want to come there more!!! Thank you again! Monitor, please let them know we love the cam!
That said, the Ellies are my favorite, though I will check out the other cam here and there. Watching our expectant Ellie Mama’s each day.
Swazi, this morning was caressing Khosi while hanging out with her and Msholo. Mac stepped in and tried to grab those caresses but Msholo walked off and Swazi followed. Nisa wasn’t far behind.
The other morning, Emanti was very interested in Nisa and hanky panky and even follwoed her into the pool. I noticed some of the other boys “interested” in the girls too. They are growing up so fast, it’s hard to believe they were just babies themselves.
Thanks for your comments, East Coast. You put it perfectly. I have noticed some of those things as well. I notice Luti as you said, and wondered, since most the boys are the same age, who would take on that role first. And it will be exciting to see the girls babysitting. I can’t wait!
This will be my first time to watch a baby Ellie grow from birth. It’s also my first watching a Mama carry a baby to term, as I found the cam when Nisa was around 10 months old.
Yes … I have seen quite a bit of pool action lately too, although I had missed Umngani’s early morning dip with the kids. And the mud holes have been really getting a workout in the hot weather. I also have been noticing some interesting Ellie interactions in recent weeks. More and more frequently it seems that Luti tries to assert his dominance over any of the boys who stubbornly will not back down whenever Luti suddenly deems a playtime sparring match to be over. Also there seems to be more frequent meet n’ greet encounters between Umngani and Ndlula. And both of the expectant moms appear to be much less intimidated by Swazi who frequently seems to be keeping a caring eye upon Ndlula. The three younger girls seem to be competing for babysitting rights for Ndlula’s future calf,. Although lately, Nisa appears to be very active in her campaign to gain Ndlula’s favor. Also I find it amusing that ever since Mabu returned to Tucson, M’sholo continually appears to especially enjoy the satisfaction of being the lone lord of his manor as he wanders about surveying his realm. 🙂
Watched the early morning pool party in the east yard. Mama U, Emanti and two others, couldn’t make those two out. I guess when your with “calf,” you still like to cool off and go for a swim. Didn’t get to see all the fun, I signed in a little late and the party was ending.
Speaking of babies. There’s a young Mule Deer along the back edge of the west yard. It’s nice to see babies all around the park. 🙂
Having the golden opportunity to watch our Ellies in the early morning hours. They are taking advantage to going to and fro through the gates to both yards. I especially enjoy this time, seeing them enjoy the massive space they have to freely roam.
Has anyone heard any updates on Mama U and Ndula? How are they coming along in their pregnancies and “about” when are they due? I’ve not been able to do much searching but I’m still watching them each and every day, mostly all day.
At one point yesterday, I saw Ndula’s baby bump was mostly on her left side. She was really pooching out there. Maybe the little pachyderm is getting restless. 😉
I was happy to hear also, that our SDZSP Ellies, were participating in the testing and wearing of the collar. What a wonderful thing to have created to help our Elephants in the wild. I pray it does.
I noticed that the crate is back in it’s spot in the west yard. I don’t know how long it’s been there as I watch every day, but it’s hit or miss for me to see the cam in that area.
The expectant Mothers are looking good and Ndula is looking very round. 🙂
Thank you Monitor and Elephant Team for a very informative explanation regarding testing and development phase of the gun-shot detection system collar worn by Umngani (and now being worn by Ndlula today). Hopefully such a monitoring device will prove to be a great addition to an arsenal of tools which will help protect Ellies in the wild from poaching. Also is very appropriate that SDZG and the Safari Park Elephant Keepers are involved in that research. 🙂
It appears that Umngani is wearing a collar around her neck, with what I assume could be some sort of monitoring device hanging from it.
Can someone offer any further info about it’s purpose? Thank you.
Elephant Team responds: Umngani is wearing a monitoring device with the specific purpose of supporting a conservation research project. This research will develop and test a gun-shot detection system to be housed on the radio collars of free-ranging African elephants in the future.
Initial testing of the collars on elephants at the Park will help assess if materials hold up in terms of waterproofing and general wear and tear.
This project will: 1) test the electronic and casing to house the detector in free ranging conditions, and 2) Evaluate the battery draw from the sensor when in use.
This is an excellent example of how elephants in zoos help their counterparts in their native range. This research can offer another way to protect elephants from poachers. SDZG and the Safari Park Elephant Keepers are excited to be involved in research that is truly in line with our rallying cry to End Extinction!
Emanti’s Eighth Birthday is his very special day to celebrate along with his herd mates and caretakers. With thanks to the Elephant Team for the many colorfully wrapped gift treats enjoyed by all of the Ellies.
Sadness one day, happiness the next: It’s Emanti’s birthday today and we will “turn the page” and think about that, hoping it’s a good one for the little guy and maybe even some treats from the Elephant Team?
I just read that Punga died at Reid Park Zoo. So sad! RIP.
Blog Monitor’s note: Our hearts go out to all who cared for Punga. We kindly and respectfully ask that this not become a topic of discussion in this comment section, as Punga was not a SDZG elephant and we have no information about him (and do not allow for speculation about animals at other facilities on our site).
Thank you, East Coast for sharing that!!! I have not been able to be on the computer much at all lately, so reading this gave me a really nice “catch-up.” I’ve only been able to check our Ellies every now and then and just for a moment or two. The kids seem to be growing each time I’m able to look in on them. They are all growing into handsome and beautiful Elephants. Getting harder to tell them apart sometimes when you see them from a distance.
The Elephant Team is just wonderful and they’re the best! No bias here. 😉
Counting the months for the babies to arrive. I wonder if Swazi will feel left out. But no doubt, she is proud of her herd.
This morning there was an elaborate enrichment set up on the left side of the East yard area near the stone structure. Five hay feeder boxes were in a circular formation, connected with a long length of wide white streamer paper. Eventually Luti investigated and dislodged what appeared to be cantaloupes hidden among the paper streamers. A couple of the melons rolled out, which Luti promptly crushed with his foot, eating some before Mom Ndlula took over to check things out for herself. Amusingly, she gently removed the paper off the top of a couple of the feeder boxes but apparently did not find much to interest her. That is until she walked off to the side and found some other treats on the ground. Eventually other Ellies moved in to dismantle the enrichment setup. But as usual, a good time was had by all. Nice work, Elephant Team !
Many thanks for the photos of everyone in the herd and updates on their family life. I love trying to identify who is on the webcams and these pictures really help. I very much enjoy watching the interactions and hints of personality. Keep up the good work!
Happy Belated Birthday to Mac! I remembered the day before but didn’t get to post on his actual birthday. Can’t believe all our elephant children are growing up so fast… Thanks for telling about the pool party, East Coast!
Happy Birthday to Mac … with treats and goodies !
East Coast, I saw the pool party but was busy at work so couldn’t watch it as I would have liked to. I saw Swazi being pushy with Kami. Loved seeing the frolic in the pool, ahhhh that means Spring has arrived …. somewhere! I suppose the pools will have less water in them once the babies get here. I discovered the cam when Nisa as a baby so it will be fun to see a baby discovering a “large” body of water again.
BTW, when I saw Ndula and Mama U at the water dish the other morning, later the cam went to Swazi and Msholo at the tree stump by the water dish. Swazi sems to have a thing for that stump. I was surprised to see it was Emanti between her and Msholo. All along I thought it was Nisa, as you couldn’t see who it was because they were between Swazi and Msholo. I was surprised she let Emanti hang out that close beside her like that and allowing him to explore the stump too next to her. Sometimes she surprises me as she can be … well …. Swazi! She also laid her trunk across Msholo’s head for a moment, which was sweet to see of her. Nisa came tramping up in a happy little jog afterwards, as she had been out of cam view.
I really appreciate the time taken to break down all the elephants and who belongs to who. Very nice. Thank you
Early afternoon pool party ! Swazi and all of the youngsters were in the water, with the exception of Luti for some reason other than by Swazi’s demand ? He roamed around along the top step and seemed tentative about going into the pool until near the end of the swim fest. At one point Swazi did push Kami from behind but otherwise Swazi was being a good sport just having fun. At times Khosi and Swazi frolicked with one another, although at one point it may have appeared to some as being an attempted drowning of Khosi by Swazi. But all was in good fun, and eventually Swazi and most others came out of the pool together, leaving Emanti and Ingadze (?) in the water, with Luti trying to entice them to play with him.
Watching Ndula and Mama U this morning around the water dish in the East yard. Ndula has really started to show her baby bump. From the side ,you see a rather football like shaped image high across her ribs . It’s beautiful!
It’s going to be an exciting Summer and Fall! 🙂
Yes, my Elephant cam was also in blackout during much of the day using both Chrome and I.E. browsers. It was back online again on Chrome when I checked in @ around 6pm PDT, although it continued to intermittently lose the cam feed for short periods .
Was wondering if any other Elephant Cam viewers, were experiencing a black out? I tried my cell phone, Google and EI and there ‘s no picture, just a black box?
Thank you!
Glad you saw some of the fun today, East Coast. I so enjoyed it myself! It’s like you said, poor Neepo he went down pretty hard, he may be sore tomorrow though, but one never knows. Swazi kind of kept an eye on him for a bit after that, but she sure didn’t stop eating from her box. 🙂
I didn’t see the Mama U and Ndula thing, but would have loved to, they are beautiful Elephants. They all are, call me biased. The babies will be here before we know it, these days go by so fast!
Yes Jan, I had seen when the youngsters held a mud party in the West yard, including when poor Neepo slipped and fell. Not sure, but he did seem a bit stunned as he got back to his feet, standing motionless for a while. But eventually after taking care of some personal bathroom matters, he then seemed to join in the fun again. But unfortunately I had missed watching most of the other mud party action that you describe. However later in the afternoon I saw somewhat amusing behavior between the expectant moms in the East yard. Umngani approached Ndlula, who then scurried away, stopping in the vicinity of the large log in front of the main pool. Then as Umngani walked by behind her, she she playfully brushed up against Ndlula’s rear end. Although Ndlula showed no apparent reaction other than to brace herself to maintain her stance. Then as Umngani continued walking by alongside, both of them appeared to reach out and exchange a trunk wave. 🙂
LOTS of excitment in the west yard this morning. A BIG, huge mud party that lasted a loooong time! Even Mama U got down and muddy. Sorta worried about her carrying that little pachyderm, but she’s a wild Ellie and knows her limits. Did any of you see it?
All the kids were playing not far from the pool in the west yard in plain site for the cam. Thank you cam operator for staying with it and giving us some great , non-stop coverage.
They were all wallowing in the mud, pushing, shoving, sparring and charging. Sort of early on in the play, Swazi was eating from a enrichment box watching, then, I think it was Neepo who took a hard fall as he slipped in the mud and went down rather hard. I think Nisa was under the attacked on another side and Swazi picked up her enrichment box, (she wasn’t leaving food behind) and walked over and made her presence known. Things cooled down a bit as you could see the kids got the message. It wasn’t long before she went her way with her box that all the games ensued!
Msholo came gingerly along and Mama U entiched him in some play and he went down on his belly for her as they palyed. She went down a little later tossing her trunk in the air, shaking her head and enjoyed the moment. Ndula was there, but she was playing it safer.
The mud wallow ended up in the pool, so I’m sure there’s a ton of mud at the bottom of the pool leaving lots of work for the Keepers, once they empty it to clean and add fresh water. Msholo was in the pool with the kids and he was reaching up to the trees for browse.
It was a site to rememebr for sure. I think the Keepers left them alone this morning to play and enjoy themselves as it was a little later in the morning before they switched yards with them. I think they were watching the fun as well.
Thanks again cam operator!
Happy Birthday, Ingadze!
Happy 9th Birthday to Ingadze … Already !
Funny and cute! This afternoon, when one of the Keepers in the passageway called the Ellies from the east yard to the west yard, one of the kids didn’t want to leave it’s enrichment box so he/she, carried it with them all the way through the gates and to the other yard. It was so cute to see them scurry to the other yard with it’s box. There’s just some things in life we won’t give up. 😉
I jogged over to the last blog of Musi’s to make sure I was caught up with the news should someone have posted since I was last there. I am relieved too, that it was Mabu that went away as I think we all knew it was going to be him and that he was probably returning to Reid Park. At least we get to see him, and he looks right at home as I just looked in on Reid’s cam. It’s exciting that he is somewhere he had been before and we know he gets the great care as he received here at SDZSP.
I think I have read through this new blog 4 times now. I enjoy the updated pictures as now it’s easier to tell the kids apart when their a good distance from the cam. They have changed so much in the last year, and Neepo doesn’t look like the “liitle boy” we once knew.
Msholo has been a fav of mine too and I look forward to a calf being born at the park of his. Maybe Khosi will have his? I too was surprised Msholo was on loan, I thought it may have been the other way around.
So there was mention of “Bachlor” herd, that Curtis wrote above. It was mentioned before, some years ago, because of all the boys being born rather then a mix with girls. Though it would be interesting and nice that none of our boys would leave, but not possible.
Thank you for this cheerful and informative update. It’s really fun to see all of the kids grown up — and to realize that Khosi and Kami are now teenagers. Having 2 new babies in a few months should energize the herd.
I had seen some of the others (Khosi, Emanti, and Swazi) also messing with long stalks of bamboo . Khosi and Emanti were stripping off some of the small leaves. Later Swazi was using trunk and tusk in an attempt to break off a piece of the stalk using brute force.. Then during a cam closeup of the action, I saw that the very tip of Swazi’s right tusk was chipped. But I don’t know exactly when the tusk injury may have occurred.
Yesterday, the Ellies received a loooooong treat and I happened to catch Msholo nibbling away one in the west yard. It was brobably 8′ long or longer and one branch. He looked perfectly happy with it. Thank you Keepers!
I checked in on Mabu yesterday and saw him hurring back to the barn for something, possibly being called in. I had opportunity to see how enormous he is by the way the cam angle showed him coming in. Geeesh! He’s one big guy!!! I knew he was big, but oh my, he is huge! He looks happy, nonetheless.
Happy to see the Ellies had access to both yards last night, I enjoy seeing that as they all venture off doing their own thing and then meet up to check on each other.
I agree, Lana. Well worth the wait, and such a bonus article with updated pictures! Thank you so much Elephant team!!! We had a sneaky hunch something was up with the crate in the yard. ;). So happy that Mabu is going to visit the, “other” Ladies and his children.
I enjoyed reading all of this and loved the pictures. We know Curtis, and the Keepers work hard each and every day and we see the dedication and love that they show our Ellies as well.
Thank you, thank you for all of this! I’m excited for our Elephants and the babies coming!
I visited the Zoo and the Safari Park just 3 weeks ago. Both M’sholo and Mabu were still there, in separate yards of course. From what we know of Mabu, he will do his part in his new herd. A docent with whom I spoke informed me about the pregnancies of the two ladies. On my trip home to Fortuna (way up in the northwest corner of California), I stopped at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and had a visit with a docent at the elephant exhibit who pointed out Musi who was sort of hidden behind a rock structure. I remember seeing him when he just a few months old when I visited what was then called the Wild Animal Park. From a cute little baby elephant to the big handsome bull he is now, has been a privilege to watch.
Considering the upcoming births of Ndlula’s and Umngani’s calves, it certainly appears that 2018 will be an even more exciting time than usual.
I also wonder if it is possible that Mabu may have left behind a ‘parting gift’ with Swazi too, but possibly it is still too early yet to confirm her pregnancy? Whatever the case, it surely will be VERY interesting as Khosi, Kami, and Qinisa compete for babysitting chores. Thank you to all involved for this great informative blog article with awesome photos ! And special thanks to the SDZSP Elephant Team !
Wonderful update, SDZSP–it’s been worth waiting for and full of exciting news. We old-time cam-watchers appreciate it SO much! Glad Msholo is still with us at the Park, and thrilled that there are TWO babies on the way! I thought Umngani wasn’t quite her slender self lately, but figured it might be camera angles… I can hardly wait to see how Qinisa reacts to seeing a newborn. Will she have that maternal instinct that both Khosi and Kami had when she was born, or is it dormant because she’s never had a “baby” to take care of like they did with their younger brothers? This is going to be a fascinating year, that’s for certain. Thank you again for such a great blog post!
The stunning photos are only one-upped by the clear and clever language used throughout this article! Really well done. Can’t wait to recite all this new knowledge next time I go to San Diego Zoo.
Great read! I love the pun as well, keep em coming!
Very detailed and informative article! Amazing pictures of some very majestic creatures too!
we love our elephant herd even more now after reading all about them! the safari park is a special place. thank you for the insights!
Any news of Musi?
We took advantage of one of the special experiences at the park when we visited 5 years ago. The story of these elephants is amazing and reflects the intelligence and soulfulness of these huge but graceful creatures. I just love them!
Those elephants look super comfy, thanks for everything you guys do for them! Great article!
MAMA DRAMA! Love it! This article is brilliantly written and super interesting. Thanks for the update on how our elephants are doing 🙂
YAHOOOOOOOOO! More babies! Thank you so much for the update!