A beloved Toledo-born elephant is now with a new herd at the North Carolina Zoo.
Louie, an 18-year-old African bull elephant, arrived at the Asheboro, N.C., zoo May 25 on a breeding recommendation by the African Elephant Species Survival Plan, a program of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that oversees breeding to ensure genetic diversity in accredited institutions.
In June, 2017, Louie left Toledo for Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium on a similar breeding recommendation and was transferred from there to North Carolina. Michael Frushour, curator of mammals at the Toledo Zoo, said Louie has not had any offspring yet but has picked up a valuable education from his time in Omaha.
“The SSP felt like he had learned what he needed to there, and this was a good opportunity for him in North Carolina,” he said.
Representatives from Toledo, which retains ownership of Louie, visited the North Carolina facility to view it and meet with staff before agreeing to the transfer.
“It’s a great facility with a lot of space for him,” Mr. Frushour said. “He’s hopefully going to do great things out there.”
Louie has grown since he left Toledo and now stands more than 9 feet tall at the shoulder and weighs 8,220 pounds. He won’t be full grown until about 25 years old.
His new North Carolina caretakers said in a news release that he is acclimating well to his new surroundings and being introduced to his new herd.
“He has been great and is making the transition well,” Nancy Kauffman, animal management supervisor, said in the release. “We are thankful to have an Omaha keeper with us to teach us all of his quirks and she has taught us so much already about this handsome guy.”
Louie was born April 30, 2003, the first successful pachyderm birth in the Glass City. He was also the first baby for the zoo’s matriarch elephant, Renee.
He joins six other African elephants in North Carolina: males C’sar and Artie, and females Nekhanda, Rafiki, Tonga, and Batir. The herd is managed in two separated habitats within the zoo’s 40-acre Watani Grassland, which allows the elephants to interact similarly to what they would in the wild.
African elephants of the savanna variety are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources’ Red List.
First Published June 3, 2021, 6:54 p.m.
