The Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium’s elephant herd is growing. Two African elephants, Christie, 37, and her daughter Zuri, 14, have joined the zoo’s current herd of seven elephants. African elephants are an endangered species. We lose 96 African elephants a day in the wild, and at current rates, they could be extinct in the wild within the next 20 years. The transfer was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for African elephants, which helps ensure genetic diversity.
The two will soon be introduced to the rest of the herd, including one male, 18-year-old Tamani, and the oldest African elephant in the United States, 55-year-old Lady. Christie and Zuri will provide future reproductive opportunities and benefit from the social dynamics of the zoo’s multigenerational herd, including four 45-year-olds, Lois, Lea, Megan, and Tattoo, and 39-year-old Zoe.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new elephants to Kansas City,” says Sean Putney, executive director and CEO of Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium. “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.” The elephants were transferred from Utah’s Hogle Zoo, and their animal specialists will stay with Christie and Zuri for some time to make the transition as easy as possible.