Marine World Elephant Delivers Stillborn Calf

[Guest guest]

From today's Chronicle:

 

MARINE WORLD ELEPHANT DELIVERS STILLBORN CALF

 

Erin Hallissy, Chronicle Staff Writer Friday, March 28, 2003

 

 

A pregnant African elephant at Marine World who had been artificially

inseminated has delivered a stillborn baby, the second time in six months

that a baby elephant has died during birth at the Vallejo park.

 

The baby's umbilical cord broke before the 280-pound animal could be

delivered last Friday morning, park spokesman Jeff Jouett said Thursday.

Veterinarians and elephant handlers did cardiopulmonary resuscitation for 25

minutes, but the baby could not be revived.

 

" It's just a profound loss for them, " Jouett said.

 

The mother, Misha, is still being monitored but appears to have recovered.

 

" She's doing well, " Jouett said. " She's eating well. "

 

Jouett said a necropsy performed on the female calf at UC Davis had not

turned up any abnormalities. However, the calf was larger than the average

of 200 to 250 pounds for a newborn African elephant.

 

In September, another baby elephant died during labor at Marine World. The

mother, Tika, was euthanized in November because the fetus never expelled

and caused an infection in the mother.

 

Both Misha and Tika were artificially inseminated as part of an effort to

have a captive breeding program at Marine World, which includes animal

exhibits and thrill rides.

 

Debbie Leahy, director of the captive animal program at People for the

Ethical Treatment of Animals, said Thursday that elephants do not belong in

captivity and that there should not be attempts to breed more elephants in

zoos or animal parks.

 

E-mail Erin Hallissy at ehallissy.