Latest news with #AsianElephants
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Britain's zoo OVERHAUL: UK animal parks will be forced to introduce larger habitats for elephants, ban touching in aquariums and ditch tethering birds under new government rules
British zoos and animal parks face an enormous overhaul thanks to new government rules announced today. Under new legislation, the minimum size of elephant enclosures will increase sixfold, there will be a touching ban in aquariums and the practice of tethering birds of prey long-term will be ditched. There will also be curbs on the sourcing of animals from around the world, double-gated entry system requirements for zoos that house dangerous animals, and the 'appropriate availability of firearms' in the event of a life-threatening situation. The 'long-overdue' reforms, announced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), are 'the most advanced in the world' and represent a 'significant step up' in legal requirements. But it means several British zoos will be forced to significantly expand their elephant enclosures – including Chester Zoo. The current requirement is for a minimum space of 3,000m² for all adult elephants. But the new rules mean that by 2040, all outdoor enclosures must be at least 20,000m² for five elephants or less – the equivalent of a sixfold increase. This must be boosted further by at least 2,500m² for each additional animal over two years old. Chester Zoo, which is home to three Asian elephants, has a total habitat size of 8,365m². This means their enclosure space will need to more than double over the next 15 years. Blackpool Zoo's outdoor area for their six elephants stands at 8,000m². This means it will have to nearly triple to reach the required size by 2040. Colchester Zoo, meanwhile, has a 4,806m² outdoor paddock for their three female elephants, and a 2,681m² outdoor paddock for their male elephant. Since the requirements also apply to a lone elephant, and the male and females are kept separate, an enormous overhaul would be required for both to reach the new minimum recommendation. West Midlands Safari Park also has four elephants and a total outdoor space believed to be in the region of around 13,000m², meaning they will also have to increase their enclosure size. Both Blair Drummond Safari Park and Longleat Safari Park house one elephant each – but due to their age these elephants will likely no longer be alive by the 2040 deadline. Howletts Wild Animal Park, in Kent, is currently home to the UK's largest herd of elephants with 13 individuals in total. The Aspinall Foundation, the charity who work in partnership with Howletts, are in the process of rewilding the herd to their ancestral homelands in Kenya – which they aim to do well before the 2040 deadline. Meanwhile Woburn Safari Park, Noah's Ark Zoo Farm in Bristol and Whipsnade Zoo already house their elephants in enclosures that would meet the new rules. The updated measures, which form part of the new Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain, will also see the practice of tethering birds of prey as a method of long-term accommodation phased out, with a shift to large aviary enclosures. Meanwhile aquariums will no longer be allowed to let visitors touch fish and cephalopods – including creatures such as the ray and the octopus. These are highly intelligent animals and handling causes them stress. Other measures include a curb on the sourcing of animals from around the world, and greater protections for the public such as double-gated entry systems and the appropriate availability of firearms in zoos which house dangerous animals. Announcing the measures at Chester Zoo yesterday (Fri), animal welfare minister Baroness Hayman said: 'We are a nation of animal lovers, and our best zoos and aquariums are truly world leaders in setting the standard for how wild animals should be kept. 'Today's long-overdue reforms lay the foundation for an even stronger, even more compassionate future for all zoos and aquariums —and the animals they protect. 'This is the first step as part of our commitment to deliver the most ambitious animal welfare reforms in a generation.' Dr Jo Judge, CEO of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) which represents over 130 zoos and aquariums said: 'The new standards are a significant step up in legal requirements and cement Britain's position as a global leader for zoos and aquariums. 'BIAZA members already lead the way in animal care and conservation and we have been working closely with Defra officials to realise these updated standards. 'We are delighted to see them published today, demonstrating government's and the sector's commitment to the highest levels of animal care, and helping empower zoos and aquariums to keep leading the fight for nature.' However, campaigners argue there should be no elephants in British zoos at all. Born Free's Captivity Research and Policy Manager, Chris Lewis said: 'While an increase in overall enclosure space for elephants is welcomed, we are disappointed to see that elephants will continue to be legally kept in British zoos despite the inherent welfare challenges they face. 'It is impossible to meet the welfare needs of an elephant in a zoo environment as evidenced by an ever-growing mountain of scientific evidence. 'Additionally, zoos have been given 15 years to get up to standard. Despite the increase in size requirements, it does not change the harsh, unsuitable climatic conditions in Britain, nor does it address the reality that it is impossible to recreate natural elephant societies in a zoo environment. 'It is indeed ironic that the launch of the standards has been held at a zoo which does not currently meet the new enclosure requirements for elephants, with it being less than half as big as what is required, and whose record of keeping elephants is highly questionable. 'Since 2009, 12 elephants have sadly died at Chester Zoo, eight of whom were under the age of five. 'These complex, highly intelligent animals deserve better. We must use these standards as a starting point to phase elephants out of zoos, starting with those that cannot meet these new enclosure requirements.' Chester Zoo said they have already drawn up proposals for an expanded elephant habitat. CEO Jamie Christon said: 'These plans are designed not only to meet the new standards but to far exceed them – just as we've always strived to do. 'We're excited to begin putting these plans into action, now we have the certainty of the newly-published standards. 'Elephants are one of the world's most iconic and charismatic animals, but sadly they remain one of the most threatened mammal species on the planet. 'Wild populations continue to face relentless pressures from habitat loss, human conflict, poaching and disease. It's therefore essential that conservation zoos like ours continue to play a leading role in safeguarding their future.' ELEPHANTS ARE HIGHLY INTELLIGENT AND VERY SOCIAL WITH 'SOME HUMAN-LIKE PERSONALITY TRAITS' Research has established that elephants' emotional characteristics are similar to those of humans. It turns out the animals have distinct personalities. They can be aggressive, attentive and outgoing. For the study scientists asked elephant riders, or mahouts, to answer questions about the behaviors of the animals they worked with each day. Dr Martin Steltmann, who worked on the new report, explained how his team defined the traits that categorize elephants. He said: 'Attentiveness is related to how an elephant acts in and perceives its environment. 'Sociability describes how an elephant seeks closeness to other elephants and humans and how popular they are as social partners. 'Aggressiveness shows how aggressively an elephant acts towards other elephants and how much it interferes in their social interaction.'
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Los Angeles Zoo elephants Billy and Tina have been relocated to Tulsa Zoo after controversy over their move
The last two Asian elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo, Billy and Tina, have officially been relocated to the Tulsa Zoo. Their move comes after years of scrutiny of the LA Zoo for the elephant exhibit. Animal advocates have alleged that Billy and Tina's enclosure was too small, the animals were suffering and their health was declining. The LA Zoo has denied all allegations, saying the pair were getting excellent care. "Billy and Tina, the Los Angeles Zoo Asian elephants, have arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo. Although they will be missed, we are grateful for the outpouring of support from our members, volunteers, staff, and the more than 1.5 million guests who visit the Los Angeles Zoo annually," the LA Zoo said in a statement. For years, advocates have been fighting for these two to be sent to a sanctuary, but the city and the zoo went a different route. Last month, the LA Zoo announced that Billy and Tina would be moving to an Elephant Experience and Preserve in Tulsa. Billy and Tina, 40 and 59, have called Los Angeles home for decades. But on Tuesday, zoo-goers noticed their enclosure was empty, sparking concern they had been relocated to Tulsa. SkyCal also flew over the enclosure and no animals could be seen. The announcement to move the elephants to Tulsa prompted opposition, including a lawsuit, protests, and even celebrity involvement. Cher, Diane Warren, and Justin Theroux all signed a letter to Mayor Karen Bass, urging her to let the elephants retire in peace at a sanctuary, not another zoo. Just last week, a judge declined to issue a temporary block on the move. The LA Zoo said it evaluated all other options for Billy and Tina, including AZA-accredited sanctuaries. The zoo said members of the staff traveled with the elephant to Tulsa and will assist in their transition to their new home. Currently, the facility at the Tulsa Zoo is home to five Asian elephants. It covers 17 acres of land, including a wooded elephant preserve and a 36,000+ square-foot elephant barn. "Billy and Tina will spend the next several weeks building bonds with their new care team and meeting our herd after the standard quarantine period," a statement from the Tulsa Zoo said. Jewel, a 61-year-old female, died in 2023 and Shaunzi, a 53-year-old female, died the following year. Both deaths were met by protests outside of the zoo from animal rights activists calling for the remaining elephants' release due to "unnatural and neglectful conditions and confinement," demonstrators said at the time. CBS News Los Angeles has reached out to the mayor's office, but has not received a response.
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- India Gazette
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve becomes India's 3rd most visited park
Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 19 (ANI): Assam's Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve has emerged as the third most visited national park in India, recording an all-time high in tourist footfall this year. The park witnessed a significant rise in foreign tourists, with a 25 per cent increase compared to the previous year. According to the authority of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve, the national park recorded 4,43,636 visitors between October 1, 2024, and May 18, 2025, indicating an overall increase of over 35 per cent since last year. The number of foreigners (18,463) was especially notable, hinting at the World Heritage site's position as a top-choice destination for tourists and wildlife enthusiasts. Spread over 1300 sq kms, in 4 districts of Assam, Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes. The national park boasts several wetlands and comprises two Important Bird Areas (IBAs) recognised for their importance to waterbirds-Kaziranga National Park and Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries. Home to a remarkable population of the 'Big Five,' it comprises 2,613 Greater one-horned Rhinoceroses, as of the 2022 census; 104 Bengal Tigers in 2022; over 1,228 Asian Elephants projected for 2024; 2,565 Wild Water Buffalos in 2022; and 1,129 Eastern Swamp Deer also recorded in 2022. Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve, told ANI that this year, Kaziranga witnessed over 4.43 lakh visitors. 'We have come to the end of the tourism season in Kaziranga for this year, which started from 1st October 2024 and ended on 18 May 2025. We have received more than 4.43 lakh visitors in the park, out of which over 18,000 are foreigners... an increase of 35 per cent from last year. We also saw an increase of 25 per cent in foreign tourists this season. Kaziranga has now become the 3rd most visited national park in the country. Also, this season, the revenue amounted to over Rs 11 crore,' Dr Ghosh said. According to official data, in 2014-15, 1,32,930 tourists, including 7,994 foreign tourists, visited Kaziranga National Park. In 2023-24, 3,28,305 tourists, including 14,817 foreign tourists, visited the national park. This year (2024-25), saw a footfall of 4,25,173 Indian and 18,463 foreign tourists. Kaziranga has diversified its offerings with new attractions such as bird watching, trekking, boat tourism, dolphin viewing, cycling tracks, and safaris in adjacent reserves. Visits by prominent figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, and over 60 Heads of Mission, along with the External Affairs Minister, during Advantage Assam 2.0 in February 2025 boosted Kaziranga's visibility. The surge in tourism has stimulated the local economy, creating jobs and supporting businesses in hospitality, transport, and handicrafts. One major breakthrough was the establishment of unique Eco-shops, operated by the Kaziranga Staff Welfare Society, which helped provide a ready market for eco-friendly products. Efforts from the park's authority have led to the promotion of off-beat tourism activities in the buffer areas. Be it cycling at Laokhowa amidst the flowering of silk-cotton trees, the boat safari across the Brahmaputra, or promoting specialised birding trails, the overall aim has been to focus on wellness and outdoor tourism. (ANI)
Time Out
08-05-2025
- Time Out
Sydney's rare Asian elephants have moved interstate
Sydney's Taronga Zoo is home to more than 5,000 different animals, which means on any given day you'll be able to get up close to giraffes, lions, sea lions, chimpanzees and even a cute-as-heck pygmy hippo. However, if you were hoping to get your peepers on the pair of Asian Elephants who have called Taronga Zoo home since 2006 you've unfortunately missed your chance. On Tuesday April 29 Tang Mo and Pak Boon packed their bags and made the trek to their new digs in South Australia. CEO of the Taronga Conservation Society Cameron Kerr told ABC News the Asian Elephants were being relocated to a larger space where they will have an opportunity to be more social with other elephants. 'We've always been looking for another big site where we can bring elephants from different groups together to form a new community, because they are very complex social animals," he said. "They are dearly loved by all our teams and so many of our visitors and zoo friends as well, so it's very sad to see them go. But there's two of them here and we feel there needs to be a bigger social group than that." The pair travelled to Adelaide's Montaro Safari Park via semi-trailer and every effort was made to ensure their commute was as comfortable as possible. It's understood Tang Mo and Pak Boon were given seatbelts, a safety team to chaperone them and hopefully unlimited Netflix to aid the 22-hour drive. This will be the first time Taronga Zoo has not had elephants on site since 1916 - but fear not a one-horned rhino and a water buffalo will be filling Tang Mo and Pak Boon's very big shoes.
Hospitality Net
07-05-2025
- Hospitality Net
Newborn Elephants and Endangered Dholes Thrive in Minor Hotels' Protected Cardamom Forest
A landmark two-month camera-trap survey has revealed that the endangered dhole (Asiatic wild dog) still roams, and that a breeding herd of Asian elephants now finds safe haven, inside the 18,000-hectare forest concession that Minor Hotels has leased and protected since 2014 in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains. Conducted by Wildlife Alliance and sponsored by the Dhole Conservation Fund, the study deployed 60 motion-sensitive cameras in a grid pattern from February through March this year. Dholes appeared on seven cameras, prompting rangers to focus the full array on that hotspot in May to refine data on pack size and behaviour. The dhole is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with fewer than 2,500 mature animals left worldwide. The species has vanished from much of Cambodia, and reliable national population data are lacking. Although no more than two dholes appeared in any single frame, the latest images verify the species' presence, and an expanded camera grid equipped with advanced recognition software will now gauge pack dynamics and habitat use more accurately. Equally significant, the survey captured female and juvenile elephants in the concession for the first time. Cambodia is believed to have only three remaining breeding elephant populations, underscoring the Minor‑backed concession's role as a critical nursery. Other images documented a mother sun bear with her cub, Sunda pangolin, clouded leopards; marbled, fishing and leopard cats, silvered langurs, pig-tailed macaques, sambar deer and a robust prey base of small deer, birds and rodents. The 18,000-hectare concession, once earmarked for clear-felling, forms the core protection zone surrounding Cardamom Tented Camp, a partnership between Minor Hotels, Wildlife Alliance and YAANA Ventures that channels eco-tourism revenue – alongside donations from the Minor Hotels-run Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF) – directly into forest law-enforcement. I'm thrilled to see evidence of young and female elephants using the forest that we have been protecting for over ten years now as a nursery. These results are a direct pay-off for thousands of kilometres patrolled by rangers and every snare they pull. They also remind us we must keep this forest standing and poacher-free for the next sixty years to protect these young animals through adulthood. John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation at Minor Hotels In 2024 alone, camp-supported rangers completed 486 foot, bike and river patrols covering more than 27,000 kilometres and removed 1,175 snares and traps, creating the safe conditions now attracting breeding herds of elephants and sustaining endangered predators like the dhole. This camera-trap survey proves the presence of newborn elephant calves and dholes and shows what happens when the private sector truly steps up. This land once slated for clear-cutting has been turned into a living sanctuary that now funds rangers, empowers REDD+ community projects and shelters everything from Asiatic wild dogs to one of Cambodia's last breeding elephant herds. That transformation is exactly what public-private conservation should look like across Southeast Asia. Suwanna Gauntlett, Founder & CEO of Wildlife Alliance Cardamom Tented Camp is one of several flagship conservation programmes spearheaded by Minor Hotels worldwide. In parallel with field projects from Thailand's Golden Triangle to Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls Game Reserve, the group has committed to becoming a net-zero organisation by 2050. About Minor Hotels Minor Hotels is a global leader in the hospitality industry with over 560 hotels, resorts and branded residences across 58 countries. The group crafts innovative and insightful experiences through its eight hotel brands – Anantara, Avani, Elewana Collection, NH, NH Collection, nhow, Oaks and Tivoli – and a diverse portfolio of restaurants and bars, travel experiences and spa and wellness brands. With over four decades of expertise, Minor Hotels builds stronger brands, fosters lasting partnerships, and drives business success by always focusing on what matters most to our guests, team members and partners. Minor Hotels is a proud member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) and recognises its guests through one unified loyalty programme, Minor DISCOVERY, part of GHA DISCOVERY. Discover our world at and connect with Minor Hotels on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. View source
