As part of our sponsorship of Heidelberg Zoo, we visited the elephants last week to take a look behind the scenes – a unique and impressive experience.
We met up with our contact person Barbara Rumer to go to the elephant house with her. We were immediately welcomed by Stefan Geretschläger, who looks after the pachyderms with his colleagues.
“Our company has supported the zoo for as long as I can remember,” explains Fels Managing Director Nadine Beck. “As a child, I was able to spend a day with the animals, back then with the seals, and even today I am still fascinated and enthusiastic about the meaningful work that the zoo does. It’s also fun to observe the animals and learn more about them.”
The Jungbullen WG
Heidelberg Zoo is home to a total of four young Asian elephant bulls: Ludwig, Yadanar, Namsai and Minh-Tan. A young bull flat-sharing community, so to speak. Heidelberg has been actively supporting the conservation breeding of Asian elephants since 2010. The concept is based on the natural stages of development that an elephant has to go through in its life, whether in the wild or in a zoo. At around five years of age, young bulls have to leave their birth group and form bachelor groups. They are given this opportunity to live together at Heidelberg Zoo. They test each other’s strength in fights and learn important behaviors that they will need as adult elephants. As soon as the young bulls have matured socially at the age of 12 to 15, they can leave Heidelberg Zoo to take over their own breeding group in other zoos. Heidelberg Zoo is an intermediate station for all young elephants to gain experience and receive basic training.
Protected Contact
The elephants are cared for using the protected contact concept. Here, the keeper is always separated from the animal by a protective fence or training wall. In Germany, all groups of young elephant bulls are kept in this way, as they periodically go into a real hormonal frenzy. During this phase, known as musth, they produce twice as much testosterone and can become extremely aggressive.
For us, it was therefore important to keep our distance – despite the fencing, because if the elephant doesn’t know us, he may well want to “get to know us” and pull us through the fencing with his trunk. This makes it all the more impressive how familiar the keepers in Heidelberg are with the young bulls. The education program in Heidelberg is based exclusively on the reward system. If the elephant does what the keeper wants, he gets a “treat”, usually a tasty bread roll, because elephants are vegetarians. This is called feeding success.
Vet in action
First we were allowed to watch as the vet carried out dental treatment on Namsai. He had injured his tusk a few weeks ago. Since then, the tooth has been rinsed daily so that it can grow back properly. The doctor carries out the treatment together with the keeper, who constantly throws treats into the young bull’s mouth. This keeps the bull calm and allows him to receive optimal care.
Afterwards, Stefan Geretschläger, the head of the zoo, brings Ludwig the elephant into the box. He then explains to us step by step how the daily training takes place.
Ludwig was greeted with a portion of “elephant wellness”. Lots of water, which the gray colossus poured over his trunk into his mouth with relish.
Stefan then made direct contact, with the two of them looking directly into each other’s eyes. Using the target, he gave Ludwig commands, which the young elephant happily carried out. Sometimes he lifted his foot through the bars, turned right or left or flushed his trunk.
You can really tell how much Ludwig is enjoying the training. And we were very surprised that the pachyderm also has an artistic streak. He kissed the canvas for us at leisure, so that we now have a special work of art in our office.
As a small thank you, we were allowed to give Ludwig some carrots, with space between them of course. He was deeply impressed that such a colossus has so much feeling in its trunk. A true marvel of nature.
As a further reward, there were apples for the young bulls in the outdoor area, who, despite the snow, did not miss the chance to collect the treats outside.
Finally, we presented the district manager with a gift from our Christmas wish list. He is delighted with the leaf blower so that the area can be better maintained, especially in the fall. And we are happy too: “We learned a lot today. About elephants themselves, how they are kept and about the role of Heidelberg Zoo in the European conservation breeding program. We are impressed and will now have a different view of the pachyderms.”
Stefan Geretschläger is delighted with the leaf blower for the elephant enclosure.
Day with the animals
The day with the animals at the zoo can also be booked privately. Further information can be found here.
A real work of art
“two kisses” by Ludwig (January 2024)
