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Experts have studied the circumstances that led to the death of a calf shortly after birth. The behavior of the herd was decisive.
Away from home in the elephant house at the Zurich Zoo: family group Omysha, Umesh, Chandra, Indi (from left).
Image: Zurich Zoo, Albert Schmidmeister
The female elephant Omysha gave birth to her first calf on August 19, 2020, which died shortly thereafter. Analysis of this death has already been completed, the Zurich Zoo writes on Monday. Apart from injuries to the calf after birth, the pathological examination revealed no abnormalities.
For a more detailed analysis of the incidents, the zoo has now also called in an outside zoologist and elephant expert from the European Conservation Breeding Program (EEP). Based on the video recordings of the birth, the experts concluded that the newborn had barely moved and was possibly weak from the long delivery.
What made the pack act like this?
Shortly after birth, a dynamic developed in the elephant group that led to the death of the newborn bull elephant. The reaction of the herd members was normal in the first few minutes. They would have encouraged the little bull elephant with head, trunk and legs to get up.
But when the positive signs of the calf did not appear in the first few minutes, this led to “more intense efforts on the part of adult animals,” the zoo writes. Too much for the little elephant that later died. However, experts agree that herd behavior should not be classified as aggressive.
Despite this incident, the Zurich Zoo wants to keep the births in the natural social association, which means that the animals stay with each other. “The zoo remains convinced that this is the right way,” continues the message.
