Trunk or treat! Kansas City Zoo welcomes two new African elephants
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The elephant population at the Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium is growing.
The zoo announced Friday morning that it is welcoming a pair of African elephants from Utah’s Hogle Zoo.
Christie, 37, and daughter, Zuri, 14, will the seven elephants already housed at the zoo. The two new animals are undergoing a quarantine period to give them time to acclimate to their new home and to protect all the elephants’ health, zoo officials stated.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new elephants to Kansas City. I am proud of the time and resources that have been put into this move to ensure the highest level of animal care and wellbeing,” Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium executive director and CEO Sean Putney stated. “This is really what our network of AZA-accredited zoos is all about, working together for the benefit of wildlife, and I have never seen a better example of that than during this process.”
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Zoo staff stated the move was made on the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for African elephants, which helps to ensure the genetic diversity of the species.
Other elephants at the zoo include:
- 55-year-old Lady (the oldest African elephant in the United States)
- 45-year-olds, Lois, Lea, Megan, and Tattoo
- 39-year-old Zoe
- 18-year-old Tamani (the only male of the group)
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