Much news from the National Elephant Center in Florida. The article is accessible by subscription only, so Im posting the whole thing here. tcpalm/news/local-news/indian-river-county/changes-afoot-at-fellsmeres-elephant-center_30160134 Changes afoot at Fellsmeres Elephant Center Janet Begley Sep 12, 2014 FELLSMERE — Changes are coming to the National Elephant Center in Fellsmere, including new elephants, new leadership and new office space. The center, 3 miles north of downtown Fellsmere, provides a place for aging elephants, transient animals being relocated from one zoo to another, and permanent elephants whose original zoos no longer can keep them. Two Asian female elephants are expected to join the two remaining African elephants by the end of the year at the 225-acre preserve, according to development director Ginny Blossom. They will come to the center from a private entertainment company operating in Florida that she declined to name, and ownership will be transferred to the National Elephant Center. When the center opened in May, 2013, there were four elephants-in-residence that came from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando: two males and two females. One of the male elephants, Tufani, died last January from a toxic salmonella infection of the intestinal tract. A second female elephant named Moyo died in July from complications after she gave birth in June. The calf died during labor. Blossom said the pregnancy was a difficult one for the 33-year-old elephant because she suffered from a rare hormonal issue and — despite the best efforts of a team of five veterinary specialists — died three weeks after the birth. “We were devastated,” said Blossom.“She appeared to be doing well for a few weeks but some complications set in. It has been a very difficult year for the team here at the center.” In addition to the two elephants that will be arriving in the next few months, the center is searching for a new executive director. John Lehnhardt, who served as the volunteer executive director for the past several years, has retired and a nationwide search is underway for his replacement. Jeff Bolling, who served as chief operating officer for the National Elephant Center, resigned about a month ago. When contacted by phone, Bolling declined to say why he left the center but said he has since started his own animal training business. Both Lehnhardt and Bolling had previously worked at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Elephant handler Scott Krug is handling the center’s day-to-day operations during the transition. Since the National Elephant Center is not open to the public, staff has recently set up offices in the Old Fellsmere School in downtown Fellsmere. The offices will serve as the administrative headquarters for the organization, including its future executive director, which Blossom hopes will be hired over the next few months. Despite a difficult year with the loss of both Tufani and Moyo, the center is moving forward on a strategic plan that will carry it forward over the next five years. “It’s an exciting time for us,” said Blossom. “We’re hoping that all of these changes will help us get to the next level.”
Posted on: Wed, 17 Sep 2014 17:07:39 +0000
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