Elephant Consultance references

Cynthia Moss, Amboseli Elephant Research Foundation, Kenya.

Cynthia Moss "In 1988, while visiting sweden in conjunction with the launching of my new book Elephant Memories, I had the plesaure of meeting the two elephants at Skansen Zoo along with their keeper Dan Koehl. I was very impressed with the situation that existed then. It struck me that the two elephants were among the best-cared-for and happiest I had ever seen in captivity. They were well disciplined but at the same time unafraid of Dan. The three of them appeared to have a strong and sweet rapport."

Nairobi, December 17, 1991.

Cynthia Moss Amboseli Elephant Research Foundation , Nairobi, Kenya.

Per Kettil, Boras Zoo, Sweden

"When we just before the summer season had a staff vacancy in our elephanthouse, we hesitated to internally recruit among our zookeepers, since they are inexperienced with elephants.

Our elephant management concept is built on the basis of activework, (free contact/hands-on) and socializing between handlers and elephants. When we decided to fill our vacancy, we thought a lot about the safety aspects, both for the animals and trainers, and how important it was to expand our present staff with anexperienced person who immediately could get involved in the elephants daily care and training, and we found a suitablesolution when we hired Mr. Koehl.

He has in a competent way been able to work actively with our elephants from the first day, and was with his flexible attitude quickly integrated with the rest of the staff. We can warmly recommend this solution for zoos that suddenly have temporary needs to increase their elephant staff at high-season and vacations."

Borås, 1997
Per Kettil
Director Borås Zoo, Sweden.

Helmut Pechlaner, Vienna Zoo, Austria

(Photo © Jutta Kirchner, Vienna Zoo)

"Mr Koehl was repeatedly contacted by the management of Schoenbrunns Zoo over the telephone on questions of elephant management during the winter of 1997/98,and was employed by Schoenbrunn Zoo, Vienna, from February 24, 1998 until November 30, 1998. Upon Mr Koehls wish, the employment was only a temporary one.

By reasons of personell problems, Schoenbrunn Zoo was forced to form a new team of elephant keepers.It was Mr Koehls task to deepen their state of knowledge and to build a up a harmonic relation between the keepers and the elephants (originally one bull and four cows, in August 1998, one female elephant was added to the group).Mr Koehl soon won our elephants confidence and cared for the protected contact training of Pambo, our young bull, with great sensitivity and impressive success.

From left: Director Dr Helmut Pechlaner, Curator Dr Kurt Kolar, and Dan Koehl.

Early after Mr Koehls arrival in Vienna, Schoenbrunns Zoo was faced with an agressive campaign concearning its keeping of elephants, Mr Koehl proved to be a loyal and diligent employee,also in his contacts with the media and the general public.

Mr Koehls activities contributed to the formation of our team of well-trained elephant keepers which is now in charge of the harmonic group of elephants at Schoenbrunn Zoo.

We herewith thank Mr Dan Koehl for his personal efforts which were far beyond average, we express our respect for his expertise and wish him the best for his future."

Vienna, November 30, 1998

Dr. Helmut Pechlaner Director
Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo)

Hubert Lücker, Dresden Zoo, Germany

"I defenitely acknowledge positively Mr Koehl´s influence in:

Improving the training techniques in our elephants
Improving the standards of our elephant keepers
Bringing two new elephants into our group
Working with a difficult and in part dangerous elephant "Gustl" until her shipment to Cabarceno safaripark in Spain
Helping to prepare and then load "Gustl" for the transport to Cabarceno
Your innumerable hints and suggestions as well as the long discussions with them, that really helped to form a good crew in the brandnew elephant house

When I asked you for help we had a difficult situation caused by several factors: The growing selfconfidence of "Gustl" which resulted in attacks upon keepers, the building of the new house in the immediated vicinity of the old one - and that resulted in unavoidable additional stress in elephants as well as keepers.New keepers had to be inroduced into the existing crew and two new elephants arrived.Last but not least oo Dresden was heavily attacked by members of animal rights organisations in a quasi terroristical attitude.In that situation expert help from the outside was essential and I am glad to confirm, that the efforts of Zoo Dresden plus your efforts in working together with the elephants and the crew had remarkable effects.

It was more important, that you could help directly in working daily with the keepers and elephants, whereas my curators and myself sorted out the other problems. After the final good results keepers and elephants settled down and we are now back to normal.

Once again many thanks for your help: It was essential and you ended up with the best results."

Dresden, 1999
Dr. Hubert Lücker
Director, Zoo Dresden, Germany.

Angela Mair, Zoo Walding, Mursberg, Upper Austria.

"Mr Dan Köhl worked from 17 september 2001 to 15 May 2002 in my Zoo as elephant trainer and -keeper for my 2 asian elephant cows. he had the fully responsibility for the animals, and since I had to spend a longer time in hospital.

During this time the two elephants had to undergo ultrasound examination in the uterus, why Koehl suddenly had to train the elephants for this on a very short notice.

Mr Dan Köhl was competent and also took care of the elephant feet to fully satisfaction.
I wish him all the best for his future."

Walding, May 2002.

Angela Mair
Tiergarten Walding

Pavel Brandl, Prague zoo

During the year 2009/2010, team of elephant keepers in Prague zoo has been almost completely reconstructed. Several keepers left the zoo and new ones have started their job, with only very limited experience. As a result, Shanti, younger of two Asian elephant cows present in the zoo at this moment, has started to be dominant over the new keepers. She has selected out three persons during the six months period (we have to terminate their job in zoo) and the situation becomes to be serious, as there was no hope that any other new keeper will be simply accepted by her. To solve the problem, Dan Koehl has been asked to join the team for several weeks during the autumn. There were several tasks for Dan. The first thing was to calm Shanti’s behaviour down. The other point was to teach our young keepers "how to do it" - the newcomers definitely needed more care and more experience than we are able to give them. The last, but not least, was to prepare the team for arrival of the new elephants, expected for the opening of new elephant house (the new facility will be opened late 2012/early 2013).

Situation:

Elephants: Asian elephants, one male and two females. Bull Mekong, in protected contact, kept separately from females, 28 years old, arrived to Prague 2009. Two cows: Gulab, 51 years old, arrived to Prague during the sixties. Shanti, 34 years old, arrived to Prague during the seventieth. Both cows in free contact. Facility – old elephant house has been constructed 1972, designed originally to hands on system. Two separate stables for bull and cows, possibility to divide the cow stable. Cows are not chained during the last years. There are two outside enclosures, the bull’s enclosure is equipped with contact wall for veterinary health check, for foot care and other training. There is outside as well inside water pool. Keepers: Jiri (head keeper) – 11 years of experience, Zdenek – four years experience, Pavel – one year of experience, David – half a year, Veronika – one and half year. Most problematic behaviour of Shanti has been directed to Pavel and David.

Procedure:

Dan has joined the team during the November 2010. He started the observation of elephant behaviour as well as the work of the keepers. He has started also to work with the elephant team like its integral part. During the work, he observed the elephant training in the inside stables, outside enclosure and also during the regular “elephant walks” around the zoo. Since second day, he encouraged the young keepers in training with Shanti, as, according to him, Shanti was not an example of really dangerous elephant. The first lesson was example of veterinary health check. After three days, he started to work with Gulab, the gentle old cow. He has explained her reactions to the young keepers. Consulting and observation was the major part of work the first week.

During the second week, Dan has started direct work with Shanti – the training has been done inside as well outside. After two days, Pavel has started the work with Shanti under the Dan’s leading. This continues during the next days. The cow was surprised, but has respected Dan’s methods. At the end of the second week, also David started to be enough self confident to join the training of both cows (he was even thinking to leave the elephant team before). He started with Gulab, but during the last period – the third week – he started the work with Shanti as well. At the end of the course, both young keepers were feeling OK to work with both cows and they even would like to continue with more difficult tasks – the elephant rides, for example.

After long period of uncertainty, the team of keepers of Prague elephant house was stable, with perspective of the future progress. I am writing this during the June 2011 – we have again started the regular keeper’s talks and training with elephants for visitors, and elephants are more and more kept walking out of the enclosure, using the opportunity to graze and browse. Their walks are from day to day longer, and there is a hope that they would reach the new elephant house on their own, without the need of classical transfer via transport crate and truck. Shanti has even been encouraged to paint pictures – until now, she has finished four. There were of course also the dark periods – during the end of May, Shanti has been cured for several painful abscesses and her behaviour collapsed again. But the keepers were - after short period of unrest - able to find the way out and Shanti is almost normally behaving at the moment again.

I am including also the Dan’s own comment about his mission, taken from the document he has elaborated for us, as I feel it is perfectly fitting the change he made:

So far, a successful project, and it makes me happy, but not content. It is too successful, and I don't like when there is no problem at all, since it may give a false feeling of confidence. Now its important the 2 guys will have patience, and not rush things, and that they work step by step and don't make large jumps. Shanti may still surprise them after I have left.

Apart from that they may have a false sense of self-confidence, they may even become arrogant and forget to look into welfare topics, or neglect important work in the house which is not as exciting as training elephants. Its important to work safe, and not cause bad situations just because you become arrogant. The elephants does need dominant trainers, but they also need security from keepers and a calm working environment. The training should be kept in a balance where safety for keepers is priority 1, but where the well-being of the animals are priority 2. To hard trained elephants that suddenly becomes afraid, and don't feel safe with the keepers, may also cause dangerous situations. Only after you almost loose control on your car after the first snow, you will be safe driver, but before you don't know your limit and you are the king on the road. Ignorance is the enemy of success, and good planning, and always to be prepared that something goes wrong and only perform planned things with the elephants is the responsible and safe way of working. With such large animals such preparations can never be too much, especially with third persons present with the elephants. Arrogance and sudden experiments is unprofessional.

I hope the older keepers may lead and teach them, and also be a good example in those terms. A child doesn't really understand the value of tooth-brushing, if the parent doesn't brush their teeth in their presence.

Meanwhile, young, new keepers bring with them much energy and inspiration. Its important that their inspiration is stimulated, used and confirmed, and that their ambitions are not decreased because of conservative behaviour of older keepers. New keepers are vitamins for older crew members, while older keepers years of experience is invaluable for new keepers.“

Evaluation

From my point of view, the Dan’s stay in Prague was very helpful and important, as he helped us with problem in one of the most sensitive areas of “zoo business” – free contact elephants and the problem has been not only identified, but also solved.

Prague, 10 June 2011.

RNDr. Pavel Brandl, Ph.D.
Curator of mammals, Prague Zoo