Page 13 - Ratel 2023 Summer

Ratel volume 50, issue number 2

the food; this can also be a novel tactile experience, especially when Shaka is the dominant male at Noah’s Ark based on his age and
they throw the mulch on their skin. experience. The younger elephants are learning crucial social skills
from him. Shaka is estimated to have been born around 1991 in
The willow field is the largest of the three grass paddocks; it opened Kruger National Park, Limpopo, South Africa, and during his time
in June 2022 (Fig.5). This part of the enclosure has a different in human care, Shaka has lived at multiple European facilities,
species of grass, and is kept at different lengths to allow for grazing including Lisbon Zoo, Duisburg Zoo and Schönbrunn Zoo before
variation. The main feature of this paddock is a two-acre plantation, arriving at Noah’s Ark from the latter on April 14th, 2018. Shaka is
made up of many different species of browse including willow, currently the second tallest elephant at Noah’s Ark at 9’2.5” (2.8m),
poplar, sycamore, and aspen. The plantation promotes natural but weighs the most at around 4,700kg. Shaka is an excellent
foraging, increased foraging time, natural behaviours, and it pro- mentor, teaching the younger bulls how to become more confident
vides a natural shelter. This also allows the elephants to have the and successful mature bulls. Shaka excels at his husbandry training
choice of which species of browse they would like to eat. Noah’s and is distinguishable by his friendly demeanour and impressive
Ark is the first protected contact facility to provide this opportunity appearance. He has slightly smaller ears than Janu, holds his head
to their elephants within the enclosure boundary. higher, has more body hair overall, and has two large tusks: the left
being 37” (94cm) and the right tusk being 39” (1m), with the
Programme Overview and Resident Elephants circumference of them both being around 19.5” (50cm).

It is crucial for adolescent male elephants to experience the com- Janu is the second oldest elephant at Noah’s Ark at 18 years old,
plexities of a strong natal social structure. However, once they start having been born on July 7th, 2005, at Howletts Wild Animal Park
to reach sexual maturity and begin exhibiting unfavourable behav- in Kent before moving to Port Lympne Safari Park. Janu arrived at
iours to their natal group, they will start to split off from their Noah’s Ark on September 3rd, 2014, as the first bull elephant, and
families and form or join a bachelor group. In the wild, bull he has resided the longest at Elephant Eden. At 18 years old, Janu
elephants will socialise with both sexes and of all ages, but it is with is still classed as an adolescent male, although he is sexually mature.
other males that crucial development milestones are achieved, Janu will not become fully sexually active for several more years,
although bachelor herds are not permanent structure. However, it and therefore he is in a good position to learn and develop under-
is important for the social development of young bull elephants to neath an experienced bull like Shaka. This will increase his confi-
guide them into becoming successful breeding males in the future. dence and social abilities before potentially becoming a breeding
In such groups young males will learn and mimic how to navigate male in the future at another facility. Unlike Shaka, husbandry
their environment as a solitary animal, how to integrate themselves training for Janu began soon after he arrived at Noah’s Ark, so his
into a herd for breeding, how to find resources, how to compete repertoire of behaviours is more limited, although he too excels at
for mating opportunities, and how to defend themselves. This is his training and will allow his keepers to undertake crucial health
accomplished through head-to-head sparring, trunk wrestling, sub- checks. In comparison to Shaka, Janu is currently weighing in at
mission, mounting, and chasing. For young bulls, this interaction 4,400kg with a height (measured from foot to shoulder) of 9’3.25”
will start as play, later becoming an opportunity to test their (283cm), making him the tallest elephant at the zoo. Janu also looks
strength and abilities in competing for females. Noah’s Ark Zoo different to Shaka and Sutton; Janu is identified by his small 12”
Farm is proud to operate as a multi-generational bachelor group, (30cm) tusk (which has a circumference of 9.5” (24cm), for com-
centred around one dominant male and up to three additional parison) on his right-hand side, which was damaged in 2015 and has
males of descending size and age, allowing young bull elephants to since grown back. He does not have a tusk on his left-hand side,
enter the programme when they leave their natal herd and leave as which was damaged and subsequently removed in his previous
mature socialised bulls ready to breed within the EEP. facility and will never grow back. Janu has an impressive appear-
ance otherwise with larger ears than Shaka, a more wrinkled appear-
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is currently home to three African savannah ance and less overall body hair. But he does have very thick tail hair.
elephants: Shaka (Fig.2), Janu (Fig.3) and Sutton (Fig.1 and 4). Despite his young age, Janu is very independent and confident and
Figure 5. 18 year old African elephant Janu
enjoying unrivalled access to browse at Noah’s Ark.

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