Adjusting to the New Groove: The Journey of Rani and Savani at Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo
Following heartfelt goodbyes, nurses learn uplifting tidings - "Recovery"
The parting of Elephant Matriarch Rani and her daughter Savani from Leipzig Zoo left quite a dent, but the team, while shedding tears, now receives heartening updates from Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo. The mother-daughter duo, erstwhile shrouded in sadness, appears to be thriving in their new habitat. Peep into their life-changing transition here.
Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo: A Promising Turn of Events
The MDR's documentary series "Elephant, Tiger & Co" chronicles Rani and Savani's seamless integration into Munich's herd. In episode 1131 (air date: 6th June), viewers witnessed even the dominant bull, Otto, extending friendly gestures to the new females. A Munich keeper expressed his awe, "That's incredible," as the duo effortlessly joined the herd and roamed the outdoor enclosure together.
Leipzig Zoo: Moving On, Stepping Forward
Rani now cherishes the responsibility of nurturing two more calves, a Munich keeper shares with enthusiasm. The concept of allins in an elephant herd implies that every cow takes part in rearing the young. Hence, Savani not only stepped into a new enclosure but also welcomed new step-siblings. And the Munich keepers already have big dreams for the Leipzig Zoo elephant: "More calves! That's Rani's life's mission. She's only 15, hopefully, she'll have many more." Bull Gajendra too has shown keen interest in the elephant matriarch.
The Wind of Change:
"If Rani becomes a grandmother here, that would be the best," Munich keeper Daniel to the "Elephant, Tiger & Co." "Then we can continue building and expand our herd," he concludes. It seems Rani has left her days of loneliness at Leipzig Zoo behind.
Tune into new episodes of "Elephant, Tiger & Co" every Friday at 7:50 PM on MDR and in the ARD-Mediathek.
Info Bites:1. The integration of Rani and Savani at Hellabrunn Zoo follows a careful, gradual plan. Initially, they were accompanied by keepers from Leipzig to aid their settlement, and new keepers at Hellabrunn had previously interacted with them to understand their behaviors.2. The ultimate goal is to introduce Rani and Savani to the existing herd, including Otto, Temi, Mangala, and Gajendra, in a phased manner to ensure a stress-free environment for all animals.3. The addition of Rani and Savani serves the purpose of creating a more structured and natural elephant group with clear family lines in adherence with Hellabrunn Zoo's participation in the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) and their commitment to conservation efforts.
- Rani and Savani's transition from Leipzig Zoo to Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo extends to more aspects of their lives, as they have started adapting to a new home-and-garden environment, complete with a new herd and outdoor enclosure.
- The addition of Rani and Savani to Munich's herd also means a change in lifestyle for the two elephants, as they now share their space with pets such as Otto, the dominant bull, and potentially future step-siblings, as part of the herd's allins concept.
