Tulsa ZooThursday, November 5
Tulsa Zoo welcomes three new Asian elephants from the Houston Zoo
The Today in Tulsa team
Tulsa Zoo has three new elephants. Shanti, 36, and her daughters, Joy, 9, and Kirby, 1, arrived from the Houston Zoo on Tuesday, Nov. 3. KTUL counts the herd at 10 Asian elephants now, and Tulsa World says the move expands the zoo's accredited, multi-generational herd.
If you're hoping to spot them, be patient. They're not on exhibit yet, but the zoo said guests may occasionally catch a glimpse inside the Elephant Preserve Barn. Kirby is still nursing, so look for a calf beneath Shanti.
Joy and Kirby's milestones led up to their move from Houston to Tulsa
- July 2017Joy is born at 305 pounds.
- Spring '19Joy's Houston care team finds active EEHV, and she recovers.
- Nov. 2024Kirby is born at 314 pounds.
- Nov. 3Shanti, Joy and Kirby arrive at Tulsa Zoo.
Sources: TulsaKids Magazine, News On 6
- Kirby at birth: standing in six minutes, nursing within 90
- Shanti and Joy: breeding recommendations from the Species Survival Plan
- Kirby: among the first U.S. calves to get the EEHV vaccine
- Zoo's AZA accreditation: 50 years, most recently renewed in 2023
Sources: TulsaKids Magazine, News On 6, KTUL, Tulsa World