After a long trip of more than 24 hours. A special unloading operation has been launched, involving a crane to move the huge crate from the truck to the interior of the Bioparc elephant area.
The male African elephant has voluntarily left the container following the instructions of his keepers and will now go through a period of acclimatization to his new home.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012. Bioparc Valencia today received a male African elephant named Pambo that comes from the Cabárceno Nature Park in Cantabria. pambo was born in 1992 at the Basel Zoo (Switzerland).
The transfer of this pachyderm is carried out by recommendation of the European Endangered Species Breeding Program (EEP) for the African elephant. The choice of Pambo is due to his proven ability to reproduce, as demonstrated by the fact that in just three years he has fathered two offspring. Is one of the few breeding males of African elephants that exist in Europe.
The mobilization of an animal of these dimensions requires prior preparation, which enables the animal to become familiar with the box where it will later be transported. Pambo has been trained to be able enter transport voluntarily and thus facilitate the entire process by being able to count on your collaboration.
Elephants in modern European zoos are routinely trained for proper maintenance. The “medical training” They are very necessary to teach and accustom these particular animals to the fact that they must be checked and cared for by zoo veterinary teams.
That is why specialized personnel from Bioparc Valencia have previously traveled to the Cabárceno Nature Park to learn about the habits and forms of behavior of the pachyderm and in this way facilitate its acclimatization in the Valencian zoo. After the rest period the animal will go to the adaptation phase to their new home and their new caregivers and companions. Subsequently, the meetings between the male and the females will begin in order to fulfill the objective for which their transfer to Bioparc is due.
The Cabárceno Nature Park It is located in an old open-pit iron extraction mine, subject to an environmental recovery project, whose network of paths, tunnels and tracks have been conditioned for walking and so that vehicles can circulate and contemplate the animals under normal conditions. of semi-freedom
Located 15 km. of Santander, is considered one of the preferred tourist destinations for all those who visit Cantabria or the north of Spain. It has 750 hectares, and was inaugurated in June 1990.
The scientific aspect developed in Cabárceno has turned the Cantabrian park into an international reference in terms of the conservation of endangered species, being a pioneer in programs for the reproduction of animal species in captivity, especially in the field of the African elephant.
