Sedgwick County Zoo working to get 6 new elephants

Henry Doorly Zoo’s indoor elephant barn is nearly ready for the six elephants coming in from Africa this fall.

In a news release, zoo officials said the Sedgwick County Zoo is collaborating with zoos in Dallas, Texas and Ohmaha, Nebraska to provide homes to 18 elephants Swaziland must cull in order to meet its conservation plans goals to avoid elephant overpopulation and make room for endangered rhinos.

Reed says the elephants are now in protected holding areas and the three zoos are paying for food to be brought in from South Africa.

“The elephants in Swaziland are really significantly altering the landscape there, and destroying the park for a lot of other animals”, Pate explained. Swaziland is now experiencing its worst drought ever and the conditions are threatening wildlife as well as livestock.

Six elephants will arrive at Henry Doorly Zoo this fall, the zoo announced Friday.

All three have applied for permits that are required to allow the import. “We’re hopeful this project will progress because we care about the survival of animal species and about the welfare of individual animals”. Swaziland is poised to play a major role in rhino conservation efforts and we can support that while establishing new, multi-generational elephant herds in the United States. The partnering zoos are working through the permit process and they expect to relocate the elephants by the end of November or early December.

LINK:More information from Henry Doorly Zoo.