What was once a family of five is now a family of six.
No, Reid Park Zooโs matriarch elephant Semba isnโt expecting another baby. This time, the herd is welcoming a 16-year-old male named Tsavo.
Tsavo joins Tucsonโs herd of all females that includes Semba, allomother Lungile, 10-year-old Nandi, 4-year-old Penzi and 7-month-old Meru.
Tsavo joins Tucsonโs herd of all female elephants.
โTsavo is a wonderful addition to Reid Park Zoo and we cannot wait to get to know him better as he makes our zoo home,โ Nancy Kluge, Reid Park Zooโs president and CEO, said in a news release.
Tsavo is coming to Tucsonโs zoo on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariumsโ African Elephant Species Survival Plan, which works with zoos to โmaximize the health, well-being and genetic diversity of the species,โ Reid Park Zoo says.
Tsavo is settling in to his new habitat at Reid Park Zoo.ย
In the wild, male elephants commonly move between herds, and Tsavoโs move mimics that natural behavior. The last time Reid Park Zoo was home to a male elephant was in 2022, when Mabu moved to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo.
โTsavo is doing well, settling into his new habitat and getting to know his new care team,โ the zoo says. โAs he becomes more comfortable, he will begin to get to know the rest of the herd.โ
above: Reid Park Zoo is welcoming 16-year-old Tsavo to the elephant herd. left: Tsavo is settling in to his new habitat at Reid Park Zoo.
For now, you may be able to spot Tsavo in the far side of the elephant habitat or via the elephant cam at reidparkzoo.org.
