Tonga
African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) at
Vienna Zoo in Austria

Biography
♀ Tonga
Tonga with Dan Koehl in winter snow 1998. Photo: © <a href=Jutta Kirchner' >
Tonga with Dan Koehl in winter snow 1998. Jutta Kirchner
Alternative name: Rambo

Identification

EEP nr8604

Description

Species:African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana)
Sex and age:Female ♀ 39 years old
Management:Protected contact
Origin
Born:* 1985 wild
Birth place: in Kruger National Park
Offspring
Total: 2 babies

1. Born 2003-05-25 Mongu EEP id: 20022

2. Born 2013-09-04 Iqhwa EEP id: 201304?
Locations - owners
Present / last location:Vienna Zoo, in Austria

Date of arrival

1998-08-18Vienna Zoo
from Bussolengo Safari Park (Garda Zoological Park)

1988-06-10Bussolengo Safari Park (Garda Zoological Park)
from Firma Ruhe

Firma Ruhe
from Kruger National Park

Record history
History of updates2021-11-16

Latest document update2024-01-04 15:17:28
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Biography


Tonga is a living Female ♀ African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) , located at the Vienna Zoo, in Austria.

Tonga arrived in 1998-08-18 to the Vienna Zoo, relocated from the Bussolengo Safari Park (Garda Zoological Park), in Italy.


Social

Tonga lives together with 4 other elephants at the Vienna Zoo:

detailed list with arrival dates etc. of the other elephants
  1. Abu born 2001-04-25
  2. Iqhwa born 2013-09-04
  3. Mongu born 2003-05-25
  4. Numbi born 1992


Affiliated people

1: Dan Koehl (head-keeper from 1998 to 1998)

Offspring


  1. (F) 2003-05-25 Mongu EEP id: 20022
  2. (F) 2013-09-04 Iqhwa EEP id: 201304?


Origin

Tonga was born wild 1985 at Kruger National Park.


Comments / pictures

Tonga was not totally off-hand in Bussolengo, but not really trained. The headkeeper Gian Carlo, managed her in a friendly, not dominant way, and she had a nice relation with him and other keepers in Bussolengo.

When she grew older, she started to destroy her stable, and since she was Bussolengos last and only elephant, it was decided to sell her to Schoenbrunn in Vienna. She was transfered to free contact training by Dan Koehl during a hot summer in 1998. Already after two weeks she could be ridden.

In November 2011 Tonga was inseminated with semen from a wild elephant bull in Africa.

Reference list

References

Koehl, Dan, (2024). Tonga, African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) located at Vienna Zoo in Austria. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 19 March 2024 at https://www.elephant.se/database2.php?elephant_id=7. (archived at the Wayback machine)


Sources used for this article is among others:

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Categories1985 births | Breeding cows | EEP | Elephants from Vienna Zoo | Austria | African savanna elephants


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