112 – Prof Roger Short and Evan Bittner – Taronga Zoo Baby Elephant Birth
In today’s episode, I talk to both Professor Roger Short and Evan Bittner from the University of Melbourne on several topics related to the Asian Elephant, including the recent “miracle birth” of the baby elephant at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
Topics we cover include:
– Some of the latest news with Prof Short and Evan Bittner’s work
– Some of the plans for working with Elephants Asia in Laos
– What the news about the Himalayan Glaciers means to the work required in saving the Asian Elephant
– The birth of the baby elephant at Taronga Zoo – what were the issues, and how were these overcome?
– The reaction of other elephants at Taronga Zoo to the newborn
– Some of the reaction by certain community groups about elephants in captivity and Prof Short and Evan’s responses to these reactions
– Matriarchal behaviour of elephant groups
– How much use is a bull (adult male) to an elephant group?
– The commonality between elephants and humans
– Comments on moving Asian Elephants from Melbourne Zoo to Open Plains Zoos and the wisdom of such decisions
– What the difference in ear size between Asian Elephants and African Elephants means in a practical sense
– And update on the “Never Forget Elephants” charity
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