Elephant bull arrives at ARTIS
Renovated elephant enclosure provides space for bull – June 16, 2018
ARTIS now has a new elephant bull, a male elephant. He arrived on Friday afternoon. With the arrival of the elephant bull, ARTIS can contribute to the breeding programme for Asian elephants.
The bull will remain separated from the elephant herd in the period ahead as he gets accustomed to his new enclosure. Asian elephants live in groups of females – a so-called matriarchy – headed by a dominant female. The herd at ARTIS is made up of a dominant female and her two daughters. This bull has already come to ARTIS twice before.
Elephant bulls live alone or together in small herds, and only involve themselves with the females when they want to mate. The renovated outdoor enclosure, which opened in June 2017, was designed to keep a bull. The bull will also be able to live with the group or on his own here at ARTIS.
The elephant bull explores the new outside enclosure.