CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo has welcomed four new elephants to its upcoming habitat, Elephant Trek.
The four Asian elephants — two adult females and their young male calves — arrived Sunday, Nov. 5 and are settling into the Elephant Trek habitat. The habitat, which is the largest the Cincinnati Zoo has ever built, is set to open to the public next summer.
The elephants — 32-year-old SheRa, her 6-year-old son Kabir, 20-year-old Anak and her 5-year-old son Sanjay — came to Cincinnati from the Dublin Zoo.
"We've been collaborating with the Dublin Zoo's care team for more than a year and have spent a lot of time with our new residents in their former home," said Eric Duning, Cincinnati Zoo's elephant team leader. "I've been with them for the past few weeks and accompanied them to Cincinnati. We also brought members of their care team here to assist with their transition."
Miguel Bueno, general curator at the Dublin Zoo, said they're sad to see the elephants go, but they know Cincinnati will be a great facility for them.
"Their departure will allow us to move forward with breeding recommendations that we have for our remaining female elephants who are awaiting the arrival of a new bull to resume our successful multi-generation breading program," Bueno said.
The elephants are currently getting acclimated to the Elephant Trek this winter before they're introduced to the rest of the herd before the habitat opens.
In early 2024, the four elephants will first be introduced to the zoo's bull elephant, Sabu, who has been at the Columbus Zoo for the past year to breed. After meeting Sabu, the elephants will meet the zoo's female elephants: Schottzie (who is SheRa's aunt!), Mai Thai and Jati.
The zoo said the goal is to have the entire, multi-generational herd roam the five-acre Elephant Trek space.
All three recognized species of elephants, African forest, African savanna and Asian, are endangered and threatened with extinction.
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