 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
IT’S A GIRL!
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Center for Elephant
Conservation Announces Birth of Asian Elephant Calf
CEC Celebrates 10th Anniversary with Unprecedented 17th Elephant Birth
|
Vienna, VA (June 6, 2005) –
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Center for Elephant Conservation
(CEC) today announced the birth of a healthy 310-pound female Asian elephant
calf – an unprecedented seventeenth birth for the Ringling Bros. CEC. The
38-year-old mother, Mala, delivered the calf at 9:40 p.m. on April 21, 2005,
after just 40 minutes of labor. The newborn is Mala’s sixth calf, and was
fathered by Charlie, an Asian elephant sire at the CEC.
With fewer than 35,000
Asian elephants left on the planet, this birth represents Ringling Bros.’
commitment to the future preservation of this endangered species, one baby step
at a time.
“We are especially proud that this latest addition to the Ringling
Bros. Asian elephant family comes this year – the tenth anniversary of our
Center for Elephant Conservation,” said Kenneth Feld, Chairman and Producer of
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. “With each elephant calf born into our
care, Ringling Bros. celebrates a remarkable milestone that signifies a move
closer towards saving this magnificent, yet highly endangered species.”
|
 Ringling Bros. named the new elephant calf Aree (Ah-re) which
means “generosity” and “kindness” in the Thai language. The name was chosen
because it provides our animal conservationists the opportunity to talk with
children and families about the important role the Asian elephant played during
the recent Southeast Asia tsunami. Not only were Asian elephants responsible
for saving the lives of humans in the aftermath of the disaster, but they
continue to play a critical role in the rebuilding of areas devastated by the
tsunami.
|
 With Aree’s birth, the Ringling Bros. Center for
Elephant Conservation continues to build upon its record of being one of the
most successful Asian elephant breeding programs outside of Southeast Asia,
serving as home to the world’s largest and most genetically diverse Asian
elephant population in the Western hemisphere.
“Being able to reproduce and provide life-long care to a species so close to
extinction is a commitment we
take very seriously at Ringling Bros.,” said Bruce Read, Ringling Bros.’ vice
president of animal stewardship. “The CEC provides a home and environment where
Asian elephants can flourish and thrive, while those in the wild are struggling
each day to survive as their land is disappearing as a result of human
encroachment and development. The Ringling Bros. Asian elephant conservation
program is evidence that it will take captive breeding programs such as ours to
help hedge against the extinction of the Asian elephant.”
A team of expert
veterinarians and elephant husbandry specialists will watch over and care for
Aree as she grows and develops.
About the CEC: The Ringling Bros. and Barnum
& Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation was founded by Feld
Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros, to ensure that future
generations have the opportunity to experience the now-endangered Asian
elephant. Built in 1995, this 200-acre, state-of-the-art facility was designed
for the reproduction, scientific study and retirement of the Asian elephant,
enabling Ringling Bros. to share its elephant husbandry knowledge with the
veterinary and conservation communities worldwide.
|
|
|
|
|