Around TulsaThursday, November 5
Tulsa Zoo welcomes three Asian elephants from Houston, bringing its herd to 10
The Daily Broken Arrow team
If you've been waiting on more elephants at Tulsa Zoo, they're here. Shanti, 36, and her daughters Joy, 9, and Kirby, 1, arrived from the Houston Zoo on Tuesday, Nov. 3. They aren't on exhibit yet, but you may catch a glimpse as they explore the Elephant Preserve Barn.
The three new elephants are 36, 9 and 1 years old
Sources: TulsaKids Magazine, News On 6
View as table
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Shanti | 36 years |
| Joy | 9 years |
| Kirby | 1 years |
They join Billy, Hank, Sneezy, Booper, Connie, Sooky and Tina, bringing the herd to 10 Asian elephants.
“designed to care for Asian elephants at every stage of life, including geriatric and breeding-age adults, and calves”
- Kirby: born Nov. 15, 2024, at 314 pounds
- Joy: born July 12, 2017, at 305 pounds
- Shanti and Joy: breeding recommendations through the Species Survival Plan
- Kirby: among the first U.S. calves given the EEHV vaccine
Joy faced a scare in spring 2019, when her Houston care team found active EEHV, a virus that can cause life-threatening illness within days. She recovered and has stayed healthy since. Kirby, named for Houston's Kirby Drive, was standing six minutes after she was born.
Sources: TulsaKids Magazine, News On 6, KTUL