Dallas Zoo in United States

Gypsy & Jenny. Dallas Zoo 01/2010. Photo: © Ryan Easley

Collection

Kept totally 16, 5 present (0,5,0), 0 births, 5 relocated, 6 deaths

Location

621 East Clarendon Drive, 75203-2996, Dallas, Texas, United States

Type:

zoo

Website:

http://www.dallas-zoo.org

In November 2000, Binti and Keke left the Lincoln Park Zoo together after three years, headed for the Caldwell Zoo in Tyler, Texas. They spent another three years together until Keke was transferred to the Dallas Zoo as a companion for their lone elephant, Jenny.

Jenny has been at the center of an animal rights fight with the zoo after the death of her exhibit mate Keke in May 2008. After nearly two weeks of treating 39 year old Keke for a severe case of intestinal colic, the older of the Dallas Zoo´s two elephants passed away. The zoo made plans to send their single elephant to the AZA-accredited Africam Safari in Mexico but officials withdrew the offer. City of Dallas officials determined the new Savanna project could be completed in a timeline of under two years rather than 4-5 years as previously projected and the Zoo learned the export permit application review process could take 6 months or more. Purchased as a companion animal for the single Jenny and the first of several new elephants to reside in a new facility, the Dallas Zoo received Gypsy from private owner Chris Hamblen in March 2009. During the introduction period between the two elephants, Gypsy also made the transition from free to protected contact as per the philosophy of the Dallas Zoo.

In March 2010, the Dallas Zoo purchased two elephants from private owner Doug Terranova. Congo and Kamba joined the zoo's other two elephants, Jenny and Gypsy, as part of the zoo's new expanded, state-of-the-art Giants of the Savanna facility. Upon their arrival, Congo and Kamba were transitioned from Free to Protected Contact per the Dallas Zoo´s management philosophy.

"Jenny, the larger of the two, is also more assertive. Gypsy tends to follow her lead. Jenny was born in Africa in 1976 and has been with the Dallas Zoo since 1986. Gypsy is still a bit shy. It will take time for her to adjust to her new surroundings. She was born in Africa in 1982 and came to the Dallas Zoo in March of 2009 from South Texas. Gypsy lost her tail to an infection when she was six years old. Visit Jenny, Gypsy and other elephants next spring in their new habitat - Giants of the Savanna!" Dallas Zoo Elephant Information Display