Under rainy skies, the Indian elephants trot across the meadow behind the elephant house.\nYashoda in front, Shandra in the middle and the six-year-old calf Corny at the end.\nThey hold on to their tails with their trunks.\nThe current animal population is surveyed for the annual animal inventory at Hagenbeck Zoo.\nThe elephants also have to be weighed on the platform scales from ESSMANN | Waagen & Automation. <\/p>\n\n
Corny, the youngest of the trio at eight years old, is a real lightweight.\n“1655 kilograms” reads zoo vet Dr. Michael Fl\u00fcgger from the display of the animal scales.\nIt was custom-made and donated by the Hamburg-based family business ESSMANN | Waagen & Automation Horst E\u00dfmann GmbH.\n“It is a particularly flat floor scale for free-standing installation, which has been specially galvanized – and is therefore suitable for animals,” explains Managing Director Manuela E\u00dfmann.\nYashoda, at 3548 kilograms, and even Shandra, at 4238 kilograms, one of the heaviest animals in the park, can now be weighed directly at the elephant house and no longer have to go to the beet scales at the feeding yard. <\/p>\n\n
Weighing, measuring and counting is no fun pastime for zoos.\n“Based on the body measurements, we can make statements about the health of many animals,” says Dr. Fl\u00fcgger.\nCounting is more of an accounting exercise, as the keepers immediately record the data for every birth, new arrival or death.\nThe scales were actually intended to be used for the birth of the elephant baby of the female elephant Thura. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Under rainy skies, the Indian elephants trot across the meadow behind the elephant house. Yashoda in front, Shandra in the middle and the six-year-old calf Corny … <\/p>\n