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RussianZoo Elephants: Meet Smitty
Posted at 3:22 pm October 13, 2006 by Ron Ringer
My final introduction to the San Diego Zoo’s three elephants is our oldest Asian female, Sumithi (see Ron’s previous blog, Zoo Elephants: Meet Devi). She is 39 years old, weighs 9,075 pounds (4,116 kilograms) and is the matriarch of our family group. Sumithi, or Smitty, as she is affectionately called, also comes from the island of Sri Lanka. She arrived at the Zoo in 1968 from the same elephant orphanage as did Devi, only 10 years earlier. The word Sumithi, in the native tongue, means “special child.” She was also raised in our Children’s Zoo and came to her present exhibit a short time later.
For years, Smitty was a very shy, rather timid elephant around all the others. It was not unusual to see her by herself with several rocks or a stick occupying her day. She got along well with the other elephants; she just preferred to play with her rocks all day. She usually had two in her mouth and one in her trunk which she would carry around and tap on things. If you stood close to her you could hear her rattling the other two rocks in her mouth. If she was carrying a stick that day it usually meant she was scratching with it or doodling in the dirt.
It wasn’t until years later that she had this huge awakening. Tembo, our African elephant (see Ron’s blog, Zoo Elephants: Meet Tembo) who was kind of our matriarch, came down with a case of colic. For some reason, Smitty decided it was time to take control of the situation. She harassed Tembo for days and her confidence grew. As Tembo recovered from her ailment, Smiity took control of the group. Her new-found confidence also started to cross over to the relationship with the keepers. She found it loads of fun to steal rakes, shovels, and even an occasional wheelbarrow when we left them within her reach. The good part was that she would always give them back. The bad news was, the equipment was in a lot more pieces than when she got hold of them. Needless to say, we paid a lot more attention to where we set our tools!
Like the other elephants, Smitty has become an accomplished artist. Scott Morford, one of her keepers, taught Smitty how to paint, but it took much more time than the others. (Smitty and Scott are pictured above.) If you gave Smitty a paint brush, she would always hand you back toothpicks! Scott had the idea to train her to use sea sponges. After several weeks of training, Smitty caught on and now puts out some very unique art. Most of us would put it in the Renaissance period, somewhere around a Renoir or possibly a Monet. She has a lot of fun painting and it is great enrichment for her.
Now that you have been introduced to all of our girls, I will be writing more about our daily operations and what we as elephant keepers go through on a daily basis. I think you will enjoy it and if you have questions, please feel free to ask. Talk to you all soon.
Ron Ringer is a senior keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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October 13th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
Thank you, Ron. I live in Mississippi, but look forward to my weekly newsletter. I hope to be reading more about your ladies in the future.
October 14th, 2006 at 9:59 am
do you guy use free contact with devi smitty and tembo?
October 14th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
What a riot! Great info, inspires me to do more reading on elephants. Thanks!
October 16th, 2006 at 7:13 am
Thanks, Ron. I am happy for Smitty and her keepers that she had the awakening that allowed her true mischievious personality to emerge. She and Tembo seem to have made it work since they switched roles. The “girls” are all very happy, healthy animals glad to be together and interacting with their keepers and their “watchers.”
Do the elephants end up with paint all over themselves when they paint? Does it irritate their nasal passages?
I know you use non-toxic paint so they won’t get sick, but I would think that it would line their trunks in rainbow colors?!
October 16th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
Hi Margaret,
The elephants do paint themselves along with the keepers, their exhibit, and, occasionally, they get some on the canvases. We use nontoxic watercolors and most of the time we wash off the paint if the girls allow us to. As far as irritating their nasal passages, when Devi does blow painting I make sure that she rinses her trunk out. I have seen no signs of irritation. If the paint bothered any of the girls, they would not cooperate with the painting.
October 16th, 2006 at 6:43 pm
Hi Calvin,
We shifted to Protected Contact in 1998. Before that, all of our elephants were cared for in free contact. I spent 15 years taking care of elephants that way before we shifted to Protected. It actually took me longer to switch than it did the girls.
October 18th, 2006 at 5:58 am
Thanks for the clarification, Ron. I am sure they really enjoy the painting too, or they wouldn’t continue to do it.
It’s such an imaginative enrichment activity for both the elephants and the keepers.
Did you notice any changes in the elephants’ behaviors toward the keepers when you switched from free contact to protected? If they were used to you being close to them, it must have seemed strange to them to have bars and distance between you.
Have you had a bull elephant at SDZ in the past few decades? If so, how did you handle him, as opposed to the girls? I know Mabu is at WAP, and is very happy, and busy, with his harem.
October 18th, 2006 at 9:17 am
Hi Ron, I have noticed different colors featured on each elephant’s artwork. Are they guided by you or other keepers as to which colors they’ll paint with? Do elephants see a full range of color like humans? I am curious if elephants like the enrichment due to the activity or if the excitement of seeing different colors adds to the enrichment? Thanks for sharing their masterpieces with us.
October 18th, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Hi Margaret,
It actually took the girls a lot less time to deal with the change than it did me. They went from me being in charge and abiding by my commands to completely having the choice wether to comply with our request or not. It is kind of like parenting from a distance. Say my child is across the street with a bowl of Ice Cream in one hand and a bowl of Vegetables in the other. It is my job to convince them to eat the vegetables first even though they could choose the ice cream first. It’s when the elephants choose the ice cream that is the hardest time. As far as contact, we still are very close to them and still have lots of contact just through barriers. We have not had a bull at the Zoo for a very long time. We hope with the completion of our new exhibit that we will be able to have one. Hope this answers your questions and keep them coming.
October 18th, 2006 at 7:33 pm
Hi Diane,
At this point, we are picking the colors for the girls but we hope to be able to allow them to pick in the future. We have not noticed a preference by any of them. According to the experts, elephants do see colors but we aren’t sure of the spectrum. We know they can be trained to pick certain colors, we’re just not sure if reds are reds and so on. At this time I think the girls like to paint for the time with their keepers and the treats they get while doing it. The fun thing is that they are all very enthusiastic about painting when it is their turn.
October 19th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
Ron,
Speaking of “when it is their turn,” do you notice any of them wanting to get in front of another to have her turn?
If they are doing it for the enjoyment of time with their keepers and treats, do they compete for that attention?
Granted they have a “pecking order” which may preclude that, and they may also each have separate keepers which would also affect it.
Just curious if they react like dogs do when you pay attention to one, the others try to get in the act and get their fair share. To my knowledge that is not a trained behaviour except how humans react to it.
October 20th, 2006 at 9:07 am
Do you ever give your elephants a “bath”, i.e. scrub them down? I think it would be hard to do in a protected contact situation.
June 6th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
I went to Zoo Explorers in Topeka , KS where I adored being in the elephants’ area and watching their training and general activities. I have to admit the building smelled to high heaven first thing in the morning when I came to offer my services to the keepers but after a while, it didn’t matter just to be around these magnificant beasts.. We also had a “Tempo” female elephant in our environment and I remember fondly my time spent with her and her counterpart. I also had some great keepers in the zoo that contributed to my experience and I remember fondly my time with them. Many moved away but I hope they know how much they meant to us.
Thanks Ron! You were the best!!
Lisa Wolhuter
June 8th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Hi Lisa!
so good to hear from you. I remember well those days in the elephant barn especially in the summer! If you have Tori’s e-mail ask for mine and let me know how you are.
ron ringer