Circus Zoological Society

NEWS ARCHIVE - stories previously featured in the CZS News page

ZEBRA BIRTH AT CIRCUS BASE - A zebra foal has been born at Kasanga Manor, the home base of the Great British Circus. A male, he is as yet unnamed. His parents are Toto a Grant's Zebra and Lucy a Selous Zebra. All three are reported to be doing well, following the birth on July 15th.
WILD CIRCUS ANIMALS CONSULTATION - DEFRA the government department responsible for animal welfare has launched a consultation exercise on how best to safeguard the welfare of wild animals in travelling circuses. It wants to know whether it should impose a complete ban on the use of wild animals, or introduce either a statutory or voluntary regulatory system. This would apply to travelling circuses in England only (not Scotland or Wales) The consultation will end in March but the conclusion is unlikely to become law before the next general election. Anyone with views on the subject can take part at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/circus-wild-animals/
CIRCUS BEATS ELEPHANT CRUELTY CLAIM - In Washington Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has defeated a lawsuit accusing it of abusing its Asian elephants including chaining and the use of hooks. Attorneys for Feld Entertainment, Ringling's parent company, said the animals were safe, well-treated and healthy. Judge Emmet Sullivan said a former Ringling employee, Tom Rider, who had brought the suit together with the Animal Protection Institute, did not have legal standing to sue the circus under the Endangered Species Act. He also questioned Rider's credibility, finding that he had been paid tens of thousands of dollars by the Institute and other animal rights groups over the years. Elephants have been part of the Ringling Circus since 1872. It currently owns 54 Asian elephants, the largest group of captive animals in the United States.
ZOO PERSONALITY DIES - Graham Lucas, one of the zoo world's best known personalities and a founder member of the Circus Zoological Society has died at the age of 67. He started work at Whipsnade in 1961 and eventually became the Information Officer. He became known to thousands of visitors by giving talks alongside the animal enclosures as well as manning the information kiosk. He was also the Whipsnade archivist and dealt with enquiries about the famous zoo from all over the world.
RARE CUBS BORN IN ZOO - Two Asian lion cubs have been born in London Zoo - the first for a decade. The 10 week-old as-yet-unamed cats are the son and daughter of Lucifer, six, and Abi (10) who was the last Asian lion to be born in the zoo, in 1999. There are fewer than 300 Asian lions in the wild and they are classied as critically endangered by the the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
ANIMAL RIGHTS PARTY BOMB IN THE POLLS - An animal rights party 'Animals Count' polled just 0.8% of the total votes cast in the Eastern England region of the recent European parliamentary elections, where it fielded three candidates. This little known but radical party was founded in 2006 by the Education Manager for the World Society for the Protection of Animals, Jasmijn de Boo. 'Animals Count' is opposed to performances with wild animals in circuses and zoos. This runs counter to the Lisbon Treaty which specifically allows for practices that respect cultural and traditional views - the first circus was an equestrian display presented in London in 1768.
NO CIRCUS ANIMAL BAN IN SCOTLAND - The Scottish Government has ruled out a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses. In answer to a parliamentary question Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead said that he cannot use the law for this purpose after an independent report said there was no scientific evidence to show circuses caused any animal welfare problems. Campaigners had hoped that the Animal Health and Welfare Act of 2006 would be used to outlaw circus animals but in 2007 an academic panel chaired by Professor Michael Radford of Aberdeen University reported that there was no scientific evidence to support animal welfare concerns. Mr Lochhead explained that regulations under the act could only be made for the purpose of securing the welfare of animals. Edinburgh City Council used to have a complete ban on shows with wild animals but was forced to drop it after a court case.
ELEPHANT BIRTH AT WHIPSNADE - A cute calf just 3 feet high is the latest addition to the 7-strong herd of elephants at Whipsnade Zoo. The as-yet-unamed Asian baby arrived at midnight on July 22nd weighing in at 278 lb. She was on her feet within 5 minutes of being born and just 12 hours later was taking her first steps outside the elephant house under the watchful eyes of mum Kaylee and aunt Lucha. Father Emmett is the head of the herd and he is also father to Euan who is 5.
ACCUSED OVER CIRCUS ANIMAL BAN - The European Commission has been accused of abdicating its responsibility by letting an EU member ban wild animals from circuses. The ban, in Austria, upset the European Circus Association (ECA) which demanded action from the Commission on the grounds that the ban breached EU rules on the 'free movement of services'. But Eurocrats - usually in trouble for interfering in national affairs - decided the issue was best left to the member state concerned. Now the European Ombudsman has ruled that Brussels should have intervened and has ordered a new EU evaluation to determine whether the ban is 'a proportionate restriction of the right of free movement'. He said the Commission must now take legal action against Austria or give the ECA a valid reason for not doing so. The ECA submitted a complaint about the Austrian ban to the Commission four years ago, arguing that the ban not only breached EU rules on the free movement of services but that it was discriminatory because wild animals are still allowed, for example, to work on film sets in Austria. In addition other member states such as Germany and the United Kingdom have recently successfully enacted legislation to regulate the well-being of wild animals. The Austrian ban was thus, in its view, disproportionate.
MICHAEL'S CHIMP PAL IS ALIVE - Chimpanzee Bubbles the long-time pet of Michael Jackson is alive and well, an animal trainer has said. As nothing had been heard of him for several years it was feared he was dead. But Michael had sent him to an L.A. sanctuary after he became "too big and aggressive" and he is being looked after there by trainer Bob Dunn. Mr. Dunn has taught Bubbles, now 26, to moonwalk and there is speculation that the chimp could star in a film about the singer's life. He was rescued by Michael from a cancer research lab. in 1985.
A WOOLLY JUMPER - NO KIDDING! An unscheduled amorous encounter between a goat and a sheep on a farm in Northern Germany has resulted in the birth of a Geep - a hybrid which resembles a lamb in shape and stature but with the colouring and agility of a goat. Goats and sheep are often kept together as menagerie animals in circuses on the continent and some can be seen on Ireland's Circus Sydney which is run by the German Scholl family.
SEA LION FAMILY TOURING IRELAND - Four generations of sea lions can be seen this year at Circus New York in Ireland. The oldest is 19 year old Oscar, now a great grandfather following the birth of a cub to two of his 'family' of 7 sealions. They are owned by Hans Petersen who presents 3 of the animals in the ring together with some of his 15 penguins, assisted by his wife Laura and daughter Vicky. On tour the animals are provided with a huge collapsible pool 10 metres in diameter. In November 2004 Oscar made headline news when a cataract on his right eye was removed at the Animal Health Trust in Newmarket - a veterinary 'first' that received world-wide press and tv coverage. Circus New York is a new venture run by Ricky Courtney of Circus Chicago and Philip Enos who last year toured Circus Hollywood in England.
ANIMAL ACTORS NOW TV STARS - Some of Britain's finest animal actors are featured in a fascinating new tv series 'Lights, Camera, Animals'. They include Benny the feline star of 'Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging', Pogo and Levi a pair of dancing dogs, Bambi and Briar two talented foxes, the three nutcracking squirrels who appeared alongside Johnny Depp in 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', and Monkey the dog who plays Fang in the Harry Potter films. Also seen are Heartbeat's Sykes the terrier, Blanco the albino rat from teenage drama 'Skins' and three Spanish stunt horses Diablo, Flyer and Valmorin who perform some breathtaking stunts in a fashion shoot for men's magazine FHM. Viewers see the gentle methods used by the trainers to coax the animals through their routines. The series, produced appropriately by Leopard films, is currently being screened by Channel 5.
GIN NOW A PANTO STAR 'Britain's Got Talent' finalists Gin the dog and Kate who wowed both the judges and viewers with Gin's amazing array of unbelievable tricks have been signed as special guest stars in 'Peter Pan' at the Theatre Royal Windsor, playing from December 3rd - January 11th. A new book about the pair 'Kate and Gin' is being published by Harper-Collins on October 6th. Gin has been described as "Britain's most famous dog since Blue Peter's Petra".
HERE COMES THE BRIDE - ON A CAMEL - AND THE GROOM TOO! When Johnnie Keegan and Rosh Ratanje arrived for their wedding at Aluderdale House,Highgate, North London, they surprised their guests by riding on two camels. No one knew what was happening until the couple appeared through the trees accompanied by Indian drummers. The new Mrs. Keegan said "There were so many gasps from the guests. The look on their faces was just brilliant". The camels, two Bactrians named Omar and Sharif, were led along by trainers Emile Smith and Mark Howes from Oxford-based company Amazing Animals. Rosh had wanted to pay homage to her Indian roots by arriving on an elephant but this was ruled out as there is only one in the country that could be used, so she decided to turn to camels. Lauderdale House manager Carolyn Nash said she thought the idea would set a trend, especially among Asian couples.
ANIMALS IN NEW CIRCUS - There will be a new circus on the road next year and animals will be featured. Todd and Clare Christian have bought what used to be Circus Ricardo from Justin Appleyard of Ipswich. They have named the show Circus Tyanna after their daughter and will start touring next April with a programme that will include horses, ponies, dogs and ducks. It will be family-oriented and the aim is to play smaller towns not visited by bigger circuses.
TALL ARRIVALS AT BLACKPOOL Three female giraffes are the newest additions at Blackpool Zoo. Caoimhe, five and sisters Ciara, also five and Sive, seven, from the Fota Wildlife Park in County Cork, Ireland are being housed in accommodation costing £500,000 which enables visitors to view the trio both externally and internally from different levels.
WHITE LION ZOO BIRTHS Two litters of white lion cubs have born in the zoo at Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, south-west of Hamburg. Three are being bottlefed by zoo staff after their mother rejected them while the others are being raised by their mother. White lions are among the world's rarest animals.
HISTORIC BIRTH AT LONDON ZOO The first warthog in nearly 100 years has been born in London Zoo. Harry the hog is captivating crowds of visitors at the 'Into Africa' exhibit, snoozing between his parents Azizla and Little Vern. He's particularly popular with young fans of The Lion King excited to see the real-life counterpart to Pumbaa. Harry's mum is an Essex girl born in Colchester Zoo and Vern is from Burgers Zoo in Holland.
TWIN BENGAL TIGER CUBS were born at the GREAT BRITISH CIRCUS on April 2nd - the ninth generation of this species bred on the GBC by director Martin Lacey who is the proud recipient of a number of awards for his high standard of animal husbandry. Both cubs are female, named Meena and Dehra.
NEW £70m ANIMAL PARK Bristol Zoo is to build a wildlife park featuring a tropical swamp and a live coral reef on its 1 32 acre Hollywood Estate alongside the M5 motorway. The National Wildlife Conservation Park will recreate threatened eco-systems and feature endangered species including Okapis, Black Rhinos, Sumatran Tigers and Reef Sharks. The £70m project is expected to attract 600,000 visitors a year when it opens in 2011.
PANDA PAIR FOR SCOTLAND Edinburgh Zoo hopes to bring a breeding pair of Giant Pandas from China to Scotland. The animals would be loaned by the Wolong Research Centre for 10 years during which time they should produce cubs.
CIRCUS HOLLYWOOD - Britain's newest - has been featuring two animal acts in its programme. Jemma Leopold who has toured with Spirit of the Horse, Bobby Roberts Circus, Circus Gerbola in Ireland and the Bulgarian State Circus, is riding High School as well as presenting a Big'n'Little (horse and pony) act.
JOLLY'S CIRCUS has three cute animal babies just now to delight visitors. Ozzy a baby Wallaby has been joined by Cupid and Vixen, two young Reindeer.
ANIMAL ACTS IN TV TALENT SHOW Two acts in BRITAIN'S GOT TALENT are proving that people love to see performing animals. Husband and wife team Steve and Claire Lucock perform an illusion act with reptiles in 'Animalgique' while Kate Nicholas is already through to the final with Gin her 6 year old Border Collie. Kate (16) is studying animal management at college.
NEW ZOO FOR CROMER Jaguars, Pumas, six types of monkeys and reptiles including snakes, iguanas and Caiman crocodiles are among 400 animals to be seen at Britain's newest zoo AMAZONA which opens on a 15 acre site at Cromer in Norfolk on June 28th. Owned by Ken Sims of Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens near Yarmouth it will specialise in South American species. Admissions are projected to top 50,000 a year. By coincidence it has been built near the site of the original Cromer Zoo opened in 1962 by former circus trainer Alex Kerr. It closed in 1983.
MERLIN BUYS LONDON AQUARIUM Merlin Entertainments Group has acquired the London Aquarium. Located on the South Bank adjoining the group's London Eye, it will join the seven Sea Life Centres and three Sea Life Sanctuaries operated in the UK by Merlin together with Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures and Zoo where a small Sea Life Centre has opened this year.
MORE ANIMALS FOR MONDAO Despite training schedules being disrupted by the restrictions resulting from the Foot and Mouth and Blue Tongue outbreaks, and the winter season at Sandringham, CIRCUS MONDAO is now featuring three new animal acts - Miniature Shetland Ponies, a 'Fantail Fantasia' comprising Fantail and Tumbler Pigeons and an exotic act of Bactrian camels, llamas, a mule and a donkey.All will be developed further through the coming season. For example, the pigeons will be joined in the ring by a dog and a rat!
Still with CIRCUS MONDAO, visitors this year can look forward to seeing the latest additions to the show's equine stock - 'Holladaise' a four year old Andalusian stallion imported from Malaga. He is currently being trained to perform a High School routine by director Carol MacManus.
NEW HOMES FOR JACKO'S PETS Michael Jackson's fabled 'Neverland' ranch in California is now without its collection of exotic animals. Four giraffes, nine parrots, three pythons and two orang-utans have been bought by the Voices of the Wild Foundation and re-homed on its 185-acre Banjoko Wildlife Preserve near the Grand Canyon. The star's tigers, Thriller and Sabu, have been adopted by actress Tippi Hedren and elephant Ali has gone to live in the Sandford Park Zoo, Florida. The Neverland horses have been donated to a children's riding program and Bubbles the chimp is said to be enjoying life at Bob Dunn's animal ranch at Sylmar, Los Angeles. "We're being really, really fussy about where the animals go" said Jackson's veterinarian Dr. Martin Dinnes, "We want the best possible homes for them, Michael is adamant about that".
DAD IS A CAMEL, MUM IS A LLAMA Rama and Kamilah the world's first camas (camel/llama hybrids) until now the only creatures of their kind in the world, have just been joined by a third, bred by British vet Dr. Lulu Skidmore and her team at the Camel Reproduction Centre in Dubai. The product of a male camel and a female llama, Rama was born 1998 and Kamilah two years later. There are hopes that the new-born calf will relate to the older animals but like most hybrids the camas seem to be sterile. The aim is to combine the best qualities of both species.
SALT AND SAUCE Just over a hundred years ago renowned trainer George Lockhart was killed by one of his group of elephants. How this tragic event occurred, what happened to the elephants afterwards, why two of them in particular achieved near legendary status and what their ultimate fate was is all described in fascinating detail in a superb new book 'THE LEGEND OF SALT AND SAUCE'. The result of exhaustive research by author Jamie Clubb, aided by his father, master trainer and circus/zoo historian Jim Clubb, this fully illustrated book is a 'must-have' for everyone interested in animals and the circus. Order from aardvark.circuspubs@btinternet.com
BAD LUCK FOR CIRCUS MONDAO during its visit to South Yorkshire. First, 31 sacks of sawdust used to dress the ring as well as for bedding in the stables were stolen from the site at Hatfield near Doncaster. Then, two performances were lost when 80 mph winds prevented the big top being erected. Next the smallest of the show's six goats went missing only to be found minus its collar inside the perimeter of of the nearby young offenders' institute. Finally wet weather caused the cancellation of the show's planned move to Toll Bar rugby ground -the site was waterlogged.
BEAVERS BREED AGAIN - Beavers have bred in Britain for the first time in 500 years. Six beavers that were released into a lake from the Cotswold Water Park in Gloucestershire have produced young. The species was once common in Britain but was hunted to extinction in the 16th. Century. The six are named Tony and Cherie, John and Pauline, Gordon and Sarah.
THOMAS CHIPPERFIELD is to take over from his father Tommy as presenter of the Bengal and Siberian tigers on Duffy's Circus in Ireland.POLAR BEAR STAR AT REGENT'S PARK?
KNUT FOR LONDON ZOO? Probably the world's most famous polar bear Knut, may soon be seen at London Zoo. He became famous worldwide when animal activists demanded he should die as nature intended rather than be raised by humans. Tosca was originally one of 10 polar bears trained by Ursula Bottcher for the State Circus of the German Democratic Republic which went bankrupt following the collapse of communism. The liquidator was persuaded not to sell the animals to another circus or even a safari park, so some of the bears were sold individually to zoos and the rest were euthanized. Now Tosca is pregnant again as are the zoo's two other female polar bears after mating earlier this year with Knut's father Lars. As a result there will soon be a lack of accommodation. Knut has been offered to other European zoos and London Zoo is among those that have expressed an interest.
GIRAFFES BACK AT BLACKPOOL - Four giraffes will be on show at Blackpool Zoo this year - the first of their kind to be seen there since 1993 - owners Parques Reunidos have announced. In an online poll readers of the Blackpool Gazette were asked if the animals would attract them to the zoo - 66% said 'yes'. This mirrors the experience of London Zoo which saw attendances soar to over a million last year, despite the wet weather, following the opening of its new Gorilla Kingdom exhibit. Obviously the public are still fascinated by wild animals and welcome the opportunity to see them "live and up close" in zoos.
EYE SURGERY FOR CIRCUS ELEPHANT - A female elephant in her early forties has regained her eyesight after undergoing cataract surgery at the Raoul Gibault Medrano Circus in Lyon. Three-ton Lechmee had become blind and was unable to appear in the ring with her companions. Dr. Christine Lendl travelled from Germany to supervise the operation which was carried out by two of Europe's leading opthalmologists assisted by veterinarians. After two injections of anaesthetic the huge patient sank onto her hindquarters enabling circus staff to place airbags round her body before she rolled over onto her side. Because of its huge body weight it is dangerous for an elephant to remain lying down for longer than two hours so only Lechmee's right eye was operated on. Her left eye will be attended to later. The three Asian elephants were originally owned by the now defunct Chipperfield's Circus in Britain. The Medrano Circus also owns Tikka, an African elephant that it bought from Circus Hoffman.
CIRCUS MONDAO will be taking part in the Norfolk Family Festival being held on the Royal Sandringham Estate from December 15th -January 6th. A special pantomime 'Cinderella Goes to the Circus' featuring the circus artistes will be presented under the Mondao big top while the show's animals, including two new camels, can be seen comfortably stabled in the under-cover 'Animal Farm'.
SALLY ANN DUGGAN is due to present her dog act in the Christmas show at the Yarmouth Hippodrome between December 14th -January 6th. This will be the first animal act to be seen at the Hippodrome for seven years.
COUNCIL VOTES TO KEEP ANIMAL CIRCUSES - Newtownabbey Borough Council has rejected a proposal to ban circus animals from its land in County Antrim, N.I., after a representative of the European Circus Association told councillors "It's plain from sheer audience numbers the public massively supports the circus. We believe people maintain that support in full confidence that the physical and psychological needs of the animal performers can be properly met". Councillor Billy Webb who originally proposed the ban said he was extremely disappointed and Craig Redmond from the Captive Animals Protection Society said he was "baffled and disappointed" by the decision, but vowed have the issue readdressed in the future. He added, "This is not the end of the matter."
CROWDS CHEER CIRCUS ANIMALS as a circus rolled into the Shankill area of Belfast for the first time in 39 years. The visit by Wayne Courtney's 'Royal Russian Circus' is being hailed as an example of the peace dividend in Northern Ireland. Although the show featured a host of artistes it was the animals that caused the biggest excitement particularly when they paraded along the Shankill Road. "When the camels came into view the atmosphere was unbelievable," said Robert Gordon of the West Belfast Cultural Society which sponsored the circus visit. Mr. Gordon said he hoped the circus visit would be the first of many, adding, "Hopefully we will be seeing some lions and tigers - that really would be something."
TRAINER OF LEGENDARY TV CHIMPS, Molly Badham, co-founder of Twycross Zoo, died on October 19th aged 93. Helped by her partner Nathalie Evans, Twycross became one of Britain's leading zoos. It now has over a thousand animals ranging from elephants to spiders but is best known for its collection of monkeys and apes, including a breeding group of Bonobos. These are the most intelligent of all apes - just one gene separates them from humans. Molly will always be remembered for the chimpanzees she provided for the Brooke Bond tea commercials which first appeared at Christmas 1956 using the Marquis troupe of chimps trained for cabaret by Gene Detroy. A further series followed with chimps from Billy Smart's Circus before Molly took over the contract, and soon Johnny, Judy, Sam and Rosie were stars of the 'natural break'. In a recent poll the chimps were voted the favourite British advertising characters of all time. Political correctness brought the ads to an end in 2002, much to Molly's regret.
THE GREATEST ELEPHANT IN THE WORLD - Jumbo was over 11 feet in height and weighed nearly 7 tons. He lived in London Zoo until 1882 when he was sold to legendary showman Phineas T. Barnum. Amid great publicity he sailed for America where he toured for 3 years with 'The Greatest Show On Earth' until he was killed by a railroad loco. Over 100 years after his death he is still considered noteworthy enough to have yet another book written about him.* It not only re-tells the familiar story of how and why Jumbo was bought and eventually sold by the London Zoological Society and how Barnum exploited Jumbo's fame and even his death, but provides a fascinating profile of Matthew Scott the keeper who devoted his life to caring for Jumbo. This is a meticulously researched book, highly recommended. 'Jumbo, the Greatest Elephant in the World' is by Paul Chambers and is published by Andre Deutsch.
NEW MENAGERIE BOOK A WORTHWHILE BUY - Travelling menageries were extremely popular throughout the 19th Century. Without these 'zoos on wheels' most people would never have seen wild animals. Until now only Bostock & Wombwell's Has been written about in detail, but a comprehensive history of the Manders family has just been published, including just about everything that is known about the three menageries they operated. Although well-illustrated, it contains no photos of the animals, but otherwise MANDERS SHOWS AND MENAGERIES by Kevin Scrivens & Stephen Smith is well worth the modest cost of £5. The book is available on ebay and Amazon.
BRITISH TRAINERS ARE STARS IN EUROPE - Three young British animal trainers have starring engagements in European cities this winter. MARTIN LACEY JUNIOR will be appearing with his lions at Circo Medrano in Rome from December 25th while his brother ALEX LACEY will be appearing with his mixed act of lions and tigers at Circo Americano in Torino from November 21st - December 14th and then at Heilbronner Weihnacts Christmas Circus from December 17th - January 4th. Both are past winners of 'Silver Clown' awards at the Monte Carlo Circus Festival. They are the sons of Martin Lacey who runs the Great British Circus in the U.K. SUZANNE CHIPPERFIELD will be featured in the February programme of Circo Medrano in Rome with a group of white tigers, trained by her mother Mary.
OVER 100 ANIMALS including horses, camels, donkeys, chickens, falcons and eagles will be seen in a spectacular live-action adaptation of the biblical epic 'Ben Hur' at London's 02 Arena next September. The multi-million pound production has taken 15 years to create. It promises to be one of the most stunning and ambitious live shows ever seen in London with a climatic chariot race round the arena floor featuring five quadrigas pulled by teams of thoroughbred horses.
ELEPHANTS WILL RETIRE TO ZOO - Belfast Zoo intends to become a 'retirement home' for elephants. Alan Roocroft, renowned former elephant keeper at San Diego Zoo with 46 years experience has been giving the zoo advice on the care of elderly elephants and it is expected that the two Asian elephants there Tina (44) and Yhetoo (32) will shortly be joined by other mature non-breeding elephants, probably from a circus background. Meanwhile it has been announced that the first instalment of the BBC tv series 'The Secret Lives of Elephants' attracted 4.2 million viewers, putting it ahead of many top-rated shows such as 'Celebrity Big Brother'.
RSPCA CLAIMS REFUTED - Claims by the RSPCA that stress and lack of exercise are killing zoo elephants and that elephants in zoos live less than half as long as wild ones, have been refuted. Canadian zoologist Georgia Mason reported in the American magazine 'Science' that the animals suffer serious health problems and die much younger in captivity. This has prompted the RSPCA to call for elephants to be phased out of British zoos, for a ban on elephant imports and restrictions on their transfer from zoo to zoo which it says is extremely stressful. Dr. Miranda Stevenson of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums said the historical nature of the data, much of it dating back to the sixties, meant it did not reflect the huge advances in husbandry made in recent years. London Zoo director David Field said "Elephants in the wild are experiencing dramatic declines. We have developed techniques that are used in a breeding programme that has resulted in more than 40 calves being born in European zoos since 2005". The first elephant arrived in Britain as long ago as 1255 and the huge creatures - the largest living land mammals - have been favourites of zoo visitors and circus audiences ever since. There are currently 73 elephants in captivity in Britain.