A March 2011 news article announced the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad may be allowed to keep their elephants, pending an inspection requested to the Central Zoo Authority. The article stated the Nehru Zoo owns five elephants, including "the female elephant Rajni that is owned by the Nizam's Trust." The previous year, the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests advised the State government in May 2010 not to return Rajni to her proper owner but rather let her remain at the zoo. The Nehru Zoo is one of the largest of its kind in India.
Elephant.se has a list of eight elephants at the location, including two males. This is incorrect if referencing the the news articles from 2010 and 2011. More information is sought regarding the Hyderabad zoo's elephant collection.
For Additional Information:
>> "Jumbo problem for Nizam’s Trust," IndiaTimes.com, 01/08/2010
>> "Rajini to stay put in Nehru Zoo," Hindu.com, 05/25/2010
>> "Jumbos unlikely be relocated from city zoo," IndiaTimes.com, 03/21/2011
>> Nehru Zoological Park at Elephant.se
>> Elephants of the Nehru Zoological Park at ZooChat.com
Maybe with this someone else can fill in more blanks or correct any mistakes.
ReplyDeleteNehru Zoo has had at least 12 elephants. One of these HAS to be Mary's mom, since Mary was born in captivity in 1946 or there are at least 13 elephants total. (I'm assuming mom could have been caught pregnant and there is not necessarily a corresponding male for this birth)
3 transfers in database, all deceased now. All transfered before 2004.
1 other known dead before 2011.
2004 - had 8 living elephants
2011 - has 5 living elephants including one belonging to Nizam's Trust
Info from articles on the net (sent links privately). Listed age order, not necessarily when received.
1. Unknown female ("Mary's mom" - would need to be breeding age by 1944/1945 - 22 month gestation w/ Mary born in 1946)
2. Rani - female 1933-???? listed as "gravely ill" in 2003. Did she survive? Is she part of the "9 elephants in 2004"? She would be 13 in 1946 when Mary was born, so 11 when Mary was conceived. Believed to young to be Mary's mother, but would be oldest KNOWN female to be a possibility.
3. Anarkali - female - 1937-???? Known to be alive in 2007.
3. Mary - female 1946-2010 (transfered)
4. Lota - female 1952-2005 (transfered)
5. Rustum - male - 1956-2001
6. Rajini/Rajni - female - b. 1960-???? Known to be alive in 2011 - owned by Nizam's Trust came to zoo about 2008
7. Hatti/Joyce II 1970-1996 (transfered)
8. unknown - female ????-???? owned by Nizam's Trust came to zoo abt 1993 - where is this one now? since current articles only mention one Nizam Trust elephant
9. Vanaja - female - ????-???? alive in 2004
10. (see B for possible identification)
11. (see C for possible identification)
12. no information
13. no information
Living elephants in database that I did NOT run across in online research today.
A. Rani/Rajni - these are TWO separate elephants #'s 2 & 6 above
B. Vijay/Vanaja listed as MALE b 1967-???? if gender is correct VIJAY is missing from above list and two elephants names were confused. Vanaja is female in articles from 2004
C. Ganesh - male - ????-???? Note- There is also a Ganesh at "Kamla Nehru Zoo" did both zoo's have a "Ganesh"?