The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has welcomed a new 10,000-pound resident to Elephant Trek: Raja, a 33-year-old Asian elephant who arrived from the Saint Louis Zoo on October 29, according to the Cincinnati Zoo. Raja was the first elephant ever born at the Saint Louis Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo said, and is considered a St. Louis legend.
Raja’s move follows a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan, according to the Cincinnati Zoo and a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer. The zoo hopes Raja will breed with its female elephants Anak and Yasmin, also known as She-Ra, the Enquirer reported, helping improve genetic diversity for an endangered species.
“Raja is beloved in St. Louis and leaves a legacy that lives on in our multigenerational elephant family,” Katie Pilgram-Kloppe, curator of mammals/ungulates and River’s Edge at the Saint Louis Zoo, told the Cincinnati Zoo. “While we’re sad to see him leave, we’re thrilled that he will have the chance to start new families and contribute to his endangered species.”
Asian elephants are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with fewer than 50,000 left in the wild, facing habitat loss and poaching, according to the Cincinnati Zoo. Programs like the Species Survival Plan coordinate transfers and breeding among accredited zoos to keep the North American population genetically healthy.
Visitors can see Raja and the rest of the herd in Elephant Trek, which recently won top honors in the Exhibit Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, according to the Cincinnati Zoo. The zoo cautioned that Raja and other herd members may sometimes not be visible while introductions continue, and noted that young bulls Sanjay and Kabir are expected to leave sometime in December, so visitors who want to see the playful duo should visit soon, the zoo said.
The zoo, at 3400 Vine Street in Cincinnati, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, according to the Cincinnati Zoo. Hours will be extended during the PNC Festival of Lights, which opens to the public on November 19, giving families who come to meet Raja in the coming weeks an early look at the zoo’s holiday season as well.
Photo: Ltshears, CC BY-SA