Animals - New elephant at Karlsruhe Zoo
Elephant cow Indra meets her mother Saida again at Karlsruhe Zoo after 13 years. A special container transported the approximately four-ton Asian elephant from a zoo in Hamburg to Karlsruhe, according to the city of Karlsruhe on Tuesday. "It's always a very special moment when such a powerful animal comes to us," says Zoo Director Matthias Reinschmidt. This is far from ordinary.
After Saida and Jenny, Indra is the third elephant cow in the Karlsruhe Zoo. Saida has lived there since 2021. "It is known that elephants can recognize each other even after many years of separation," says Biologist and Zoo Curator Claudia Vollhardt. The next few days are expected to be exciting. The elephant cows will initially be given time and rest. The elephant house will remain closed for now.
Jenny and Indra know each other from Hamburg as well. They have not seen each other since the zoos' reports indicate, 18 years ago. The reunion of the three animals is considered challenging. Jenny's behavior towards other elephants was problematic in the past. "In the coming days, the animals will first see each other through separations, then they can rub against each other. When we put them directly together, we will depend on their behavior," says Vollhardt. Saida and Jenny get along well, according to the biologist. However, it is unpredictable how all three will get along together.
Indra came to Karlsruhe on recommendation from the European Endangered Species Program (EEP) of the European Zoo and Aquarium Association (EAZA). The program deals with the care of reserve populations of endangered species in human care and puts the breeding groups in zoos together. Indra is no longer intended for breeding according to the statement, having had two unsuccessful attempts. Her move to Karlsruhe is for the welfare of the animal. For the Karlsruhe Zoo, Indra's arrival is a change. Normally, the retirement home in Karlsruhe, according to Zoo Director Reinschmidt, takes in older animals.
The transportation of the Asian elephant Indra, from a zoo in Hamburg to Karlsruhe Zoo, highlights the role of the Zoo Director, Matthias Reinschmidt, as he welcomes the approximately four-ton elephant. Indra's reunion with fellow elephant cow Saida, who resides in Karlsruhe since 2021, is noteworthy, as it showcases the long-term memory elephants possess even after many years of separation. The upcoming days in Karlsruhe Zoo promise excitement and uncertainty, as Indra, Saida, and another elephant cow, Jenny, will reunite for the first time since their separation from Hamburg, 18 years ago.
