OMAHA — Weeks of planning and preparation paid off when the immense task of moving a Toledo Zoo elephant to Omaha went exactly as planned.
The zoo’s 14-year-old African elephant bull, Louie, made the roughly 700-mile trip to his new home at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium overnight Thursday into Friday by truck. Including several breaks, the drive took about 13¾ hours.
“Louie did really well on the trip,” said Shayla Bell Moriarty, the Toledo Zoo’s communications director, who flew to Omaha on Friday. “It all went according to plan.”
Louie joins six others of his kind that were rescued from Swaziland last year. He was chosen as the best available mate for five females in the Nebraskan group by the Species Survival Plan, a program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that manages breeding to ensure genetic diversity in accredited institutions.
PHOTO GALLERY: Louie heads to Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium
His offspring will be the beginning of a new bloodline among captive African elephants in North America.
The pachyderm caravan did not need any unplanned stops along the route west, despite running into rainy weather.
“I don’t think it could have went any better,” said Dan Cassidy, general curator in Omaha. “The trip was uneventful and the weather cooled off here.”
He said Louie briefly returned to his transport crate after backing out the first time at his new home.
“I took it as a good sign. He was comfortable in that container,” Mr. Cassidy said.
He came out fully the second time, turned around, and followed a chute into the elephant barn.
Ben Whitebread, Toledo Zoo’s elephant manager, traveled with Louie and coaxed him out to see his new home.
The familiarity of a brief training session with the keeper he’s known nearly 13 years helped soothe any nerves.
“Ben went through his normal commands and got him comfortable,” Mrs. Moriarty said.
Mr. Cassidy said Louie quickly located water and food sources and began exploring his area in the barn. He has not shied away from any of his new caretakers.
“He seems pretty relaxed,” Mr. Cassidy said. “If you didn’t know better, you’d say he’d been there for a long time.”
Mr. Whitebread is staying in Omaha for a few days to help the elephant adjust and to train Omaha keepers.
Louie will undergo a standard quarantine period, during which he will have access to both indoor and outdoor areas but no contact with other elephants.
When the zoo’s veterinarians release him from quarantine, staff will begin slowly introducing Louie to the five females in the Omaha herd.
“I’m sure they already know he’s in the building,” Mr. Cassidy said.
Mrs. Moriarty said Louie’s move involved multiple departments of both zoos, several local businesses in Toledo and Omaha, and assistance from law enforcement on each end of the trip.
“His move to Omaha is a testament to what we do,” she said. “He will help further his species and be an iconic ambassador, even though he’s no longer with us in Toledo.”
The Toledo Zoo retains ownership of Louie.
A contract with the Henry Doorly Zoo stipulates Toledo will own every even-numbered female calf sired by Louie, while the Omaha facility will get ownership of odd-numbered females and all males.
Louie or his offspring could return to Toledo in the future.
Contact Alexandra Mester: amester@theblade.com, 419-724-6066, or on Twitter @AlexMesterBlade.
First Published June 24, 2017, 4:00 a.m.
