Elephant house

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Old outdoor area of ​​the elephant house of the Leipzig Zoo
The new outdoor area of ​​the Leipzig Zoo with the elephant temple Ganesha Mandir

An elephant or elephants House is in zoological gardens built or zoos or integrated in building where elephants where possible humanely - that is adapted to their natural environment and their social behavior - and can be held securely. On the other hand, elephant houses are designed in such a way that visitors to the facilities can have an optimal opportunity to observe the animals, although compromises between these two goals are fundamentally necessary. With their integrated cages, elephant houses offer the possibility of observation , research and breeding .

Outdated elephant houses often suffer from various deficiencies that, due to historical or listed buildings, cannot always be reconciled with the requirements of correct housing:

  • A lack of space can lead to problems in the elephant herd (lack of possibility of retreat) and often makes chaining necessary. Countermeasures are the merging of several boxes, new or revised outdoor facilities as a transition route or places that are protected from view by trees or additional walls, as well as simultaneous feeding in several places in order to temporarily split the herd.
  • A lack of employment opportunities creates tension in the herd and can provoke and encourage stereotypical behavior ( weaving ). Diversity in daily use, changing feeding places and plans as well as playing and bathing options can only counteract this to a limited extent, mostly all that remains is a redesign or redesign of the enclosure.
  • Unsuitable floor coverings (e.g. concrete, clinker or brick) make it difficult or impossible to sleep lying down and cause foot diseases (so-called "hoof cancer") if kept for many years. The only alternative is to completely dispense with concrete. Adapted rubber screed floors are used in the interior of modern systems and different types of soil (such as sand, clay or simple grass) are used in the outdoor areas.

Even small changes can significantly improve the quality of husbandry, but in many cases a major renovation or new construction of the enclosures is necessary.

Other kinds

In addition to elephants, other species whose keeping is similarly demanding can also be housed in pachyderm houses, e.g. B. Hippos or rhinos .

See also

Web links

Commons : Elephant houses  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files