Last elephant at Riverbanks Zoo has left Columbia for her new home
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden officially has no elephants.
An African elephant named Belle, the last inhabitant at the Columbia zoo’s elephant exhibit, was moved to her new home Wednesday.
The 38-year-old was successfully transported to the Milwaukee County Zoo, Riverbanks officials said on Facebook.
“We are happy to share that Belle is now enjoying her new home at the Milwaukee County Zoo,” the post said. “She and the Riverbanks’ team arrived in Milwaukee early this morning following a smooth and successful transport.”
The 7,920-pound elephant was joined on the more than 900-mile journey with a three-member care team, that helped her travel and is working with officials at her new home on the transition, according to a post on the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Facebook page.
Belle’s arrival was well received.
Ruth and Brittany, female elephants currently living at the Milwaukee County Zoo, trumpeted when they saw Belle, according to the post.
Although Belle is not living with her new herd mates yet, she will slowly be introduced to Ruth and Brittany after a quarantine period, the Milwaukee County Zoo said.
“Belle is getting familiar with her new home and quickly began eating, drinking and interacting with her new enrichment items,” according to Riverbanks Zoo officials.
Milwaukee’s Elephant Care Center will be closed until Belle settles in at her new home.
For the past three months Belle was the only elephant at Riverbanks Zoo.
Her last herd mate in Columbia, Robin, died in late August, The State reported. Plans were already being made to ship Belle and Robin to another zoo when the 49-year-old elephant died unexpectedly overnight.
The plan to move both elephants to a new herd in another zoo was to enable them to be part of “a larger group in a more social environment,” Riverbanks said in June.
Riverbanks worked with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums African Elephant Species Survival Plan to find a new herd for Belle.
“The Milwaukee County Zoo was the right move for Belle’s needs, to thrive and live out her life in our new spacious outdoor habitat and indoor Elephant Care Center,” zoo director Chuck Wikenhauser said, according to WITI.
Belle came to Riverbanks from the Columbus Zoo in 2001, according to zoo officials. She was one of 13 African elephants to have lived at the Columbia zoo since 1973.
A little more than two years ago, Riverbanks had four female African elephants.
On May 4, 2017, Robin and Belle’s herdmate, Penny, stumbled, fell and could not get back up, The State reported.
Zoo veterinarians and vet techs were signaled by Robin and Belle who “called and trumpeted” while staying by Penny’s side as she struggled to get up, according to The State. Officials made the decision to “humanely” euthanize the 37-year-old elephant.
There were no signs that Penny was ailing, according to zoo officials. That was not the case in December of 2016, when another of the zoo’s elephants that was suffering from medical issues was euthanized, The State reported.
The 44-year-old Petunia was afflicted with arthritis and some colic, according to zoo officials who euthanized the elephant after she was unable to stand.
Following Petunia’s death, zoo staff allowed the other members of the herd to “visit her body, to mourn her passing in their own way,” because of the tight social structures elephants create in their communities, according to The State.
Although Riverbanks no longer has any elephants, zoo officials said it’s possible an elephant exhibit could return to Columbia in the future.
In the meantime, the former elephant exhibit will become a new home for Southern white rhinos, according to The State. The new exhibit is scheduled to open to the public in time for the summer of 2020, marking the breed’s return to Riverbanks for the first time since 1989, zoo officials said.
The only land mammal larger than white rhinos are elephants, according to the zoo.
“We are excited to give our guests the opportunity to connect and interact with these magnificent creatures that, without us, face an uncertain future,” Riverbanks Zoo and Garden President and CEO Thomas Stringfellow said in a news release. “By bringing white rhinos back to Riverbanks, we have a great opportunity to contribute to the sustainability of this species.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 10:03 AM.
