ELEPHANTS!!!

On Tuesday, June 21, 2005, the Mayor and Tucson City Council unanimously passed a resolution committing the City to expand the zoo in accordance with the Master Plan and committing to upgrade the elephant exhibit in accordance with the new AZA standards for elephant exhibits. This resolution, which has been accepted by the American Zoo & Aquarium Association, will allow Reid Park Zoo to maintain its two elephants, Connie and Shaba, to proceed with the breeding of Shaba and to prepare for the ultimate housing of an elephant herd of up to six animals.

Consistent with the Master Plan for the Zoo, the decision will allow the development of the Africa Loop infrastructure planned for the area south of the existing zoo footprint. It is in the new Africa Loop where the new elephant exhibit will be located.

Thanks go out to the TZS membership and other Reid Park Zoo constituency who, through calls, letters and messages, let the City Staff and the Council know how important elephant are to the education program at the zoo and how much these animals are appreciated. The public expression of support undoubtedly had a major impact on the outcome of this decision.

A MAGNIFICENT MOVE

On October 25, 2005, Reid Park Zoo's two white rhinoceros, Yebonga and Zibulo; were moved from their twenty-year-old exhibit and barn to a new area in the Zoo designed especially for them. The move, which took 3 ½ hours to complete and involved numerous support and volunteers, was a great success!

Weeks before the move, the rhinos were introduced to the massive 5000 pound crates created by the City of Tucson's welding department. After intensive training by the rhino keepers, both rhinos became comfortable going in and out of the crates. Once the rhinos were comfortable inside the crates with the doors closed, we scheduled their moving day.

On the day of the move, personnel from the Wild Animal Park in San Diego worked alongside RPZ zookeepers providing advice based on their own rhino moving experiences. Tucson Electric Power allowed us to use their forklift to lift the enormous crates, each containing a 4500 pound rhino. Moving the crates from one side of the zoo to another was made easier with the use of a flatbed truck from Frontier Towing.

With a little convincing, each rhino made its way into the new barn. Over two weeks the rhinos were introduced into the behind the scenes area of their new exhibit, including an outdoor area. On November 9, they were introduced into their new grassy yard. The male rhino was the first to enter this new habitat. After a few minutes he began to claim the territory as his own by marking it with his scent. After twenty minutes, the female finally ventured out into the new yard.

Zookeeper Peter Hnath said that the rhinos are behaving the same as they did in their old yard and are taking naps in their mud wallow. One highlight of this new exhibit are areas where the zookeepers can safely get closer to the rhinos to do enrichment and behavior training through a protective barrier. Be sure to visit the new rhino exhibit on your next trip to the Zoo; perhaps you can even watch a rhino enrichment/training session.