come across this pic quote The Orestes arriving in Sydney, from Malaysia, with two Elephants as deck cargo. Destined for Taronga Park Zoo, early 1960's kool hay Blue Funnel Line Photographs (II)
more sad really - i can only imagine how aweful these poor animals lives would have been... theres something particuarly touching about elephants. i think its because they can be so trusting and docile despite the fact that they could crush you in a second. so it always saddens me when you see these brilliant animals obidiently boarding a ship, crate, truck whatever, when you know that it was only to be shipped off to some place aweful...
in those days it was the only way to get animals around the world, and especially, the animals were just money, how much they were, who buys, making people money, not the animal nor the species was accounted for
These days, (we would hope), no one would dream of treating elephants like this, but this photo is a part of history, and is a reflection of the way things were done in those days. Although it's depressing to think of it now, I think this is a pretty cool historic photo of the arrival of some significant animals. I'm sure we could all drag out some pretty depressing old photos, but equally, we can probably all tell stories about how much better things are done these days - take some of the old bear pit exhibits and concrete and steel lion cages in this region, that thankfully, are (mostly) long gone.
definately, i am facinated by these old photographs, i just often find them equally depressing as well..
Does anyone have any archival photos of the original Gorillas at Taronga Park in the old line of concrete cages? I think they had about six gorillas, Buluman, Betsi, GeorgeKong, Mary Kong and a couple more whose names I don't know without looking it up.. On my first visit to Taronga, Buluman and Betsi had already gone to melbourne but those cages still housed the Orangutans. I know they are long gone nowadays.
Not at Taronga, but I've got a few in some old guide books of Buli and Betsy just after they arrived at Melbourne, and some shorts of gorillas at Taronga, but they don't show the exhibits very well. I can scan them and post them in the gallery if you are interested?
Zoopro- that's a great shot of Buluman & Betsi. I first saw them at Melbourne about 1983 too- Betsi with Yuska, Buluman alone- I actually thought he was Rigo(who wasn't on show that day) and only years later looking at other photos of them did I realise which male I saw that time. I saw Buluman again, in the group, some years later before he died. Betsi has a great history- its so good that she was able to breed late in life. Her son Buzandi, the breeding male at Hanover Zoo looks very like her- a very handsome animal.
i also think taronga's silverback kibabu is very handsome and frala, one of taronga's females, is pretty. i think its because she is brown. on the other hand Yuska always seemed to remind me of the fat girl at school who stole evrybody's lunch. barcelona zoo has a very succesful group of gorilla,s who were all good looking. if humans can discriminate between gorillas, i wonder what constitues a good looking gorilla in a gorilla's eyes????
I don't know, maybe they don't see attractiveness in the same way as we do, but they are certainly capable of likes and dislikes when it comes to breeding. Why does Mzuri at Jersey breed with one female, but not the other three. Does he just not like them? Though Kisabu's group came from Holland, HE was actually born at Howletts UK- father Kisoro, mother Baby Doll. He was sent to Apenheul as the male for their 2nd group. His father Kisoro was Howlett's first breeding male and came from Lincoln Park Chicago on a breeding loan. Before he arrived Howletts were having no breeding success. Kisoro wasn't a very large silverback, but he was a real beauty. He later died in America but has lots of descendants at Howletts and elsewhere- e.g. at Taronga.
A little off-topic but this is the most appropriate thread i could find. Apparently Perth Zoo has expressed interest in obtaining semen from Singapore's bull elephant for AI purposes. It was reported in the local press yesterday, and it added that nothing has been confirmed yet though.
circus elephants... for those of you keeping track of the circus elephants in australasia - here is some info that may/may not be of help. a friend told me the other day that just a little outside of melbourne he passed a circus that had elephants. i asked if it was stardust cicus that has two elephants and he said no, they definately had three and the name was "princess brothers" or something like that...
