Elephant cow Heri: Pregnancy at Basel Zoo fails
Basel Zoo assumes that the foetus of elephant cow Heri has died in the womb. Captivity even causes brain damage in elephants.
The pregnancy of Basel's elephant cow Heri is in all likelihood not heading for a happy ending.
Basel Zoo announced on Thursday that it believes the foetus has died in the womb.
Even following the illness-related death of bull elephant Tusker in August — who had to be put down due to tuberculosis — Basel Zoo had remained optimistic that his offspring would be born around the turn of the year. That would have been the first elephant birth at Basel Zoo in 31 years, as the zoo notes.
Critical condition
The zoo must now assume, according to its communiqué, that the calf has died inside the mother. No further signs of life from the calf could be detected.
The 47-year-old elephant cow Heri is in a critical condition and is currently receiving intensive care, the statement continues. The zoo's team of veterinarians had previously attempted on several occasions, without success, to induce labour using contractions-stimulating medication. Active obstetric intervention, such as a caesarean section, is not possible with elephants.
The elephant house will remain temporarily closed to the public.
Elephants suffer in zoos
Elephants suffer many deprivations in zoos and circuses, but the lack of sufficient space is one of the main causes of their suffering, as a new study shows, in which the renowned wildlife biologist Dr. Keith Lindsay was involved.
Elephants in zoos suffer enormously from being unable to live as nature intended from birth. Captivity in zoos even causes brain damage.
Consider what a few hectares mean to an elephant. A former elephant keeper at a zoo comments: “It is like a family living their entire lives in a room the size of a bathroom.”
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