The same thing happens in elephant herds in nature, after a male has provided offspring, he leaves again. Bulls only join the herd when there are mating opportunities, then they move on to the next herd.
How a male elephant blends into the group is always an exciting process. The diploma must be accepted, but according to Artis that was remarkably easy. As a result, the zoo also had confidence in a successful outcome. Examination of the dung of the female elephants revealed that two of them are pregnant.
Contribution made
“We are happy that the bull has made his contribution to the herd. Now that he has left, the focus is completely on the herd itself again,” says Peter Bleesing of Artis. “The pregnant elephants are doing well; we are closely monitoring their development. There is little to see at the moment, but we are eagerly looking forward to what the coming months will bring.”
The two calves are expected to be born in early 2026.
Earlier this year, AT5 made a multi-part series about Artis, including about what happens to elephant poop: