After a comprehensive evaluation, Utah’s Hogle Zoo has made the decision to pause its continuous care of elephants that spans more than 100 years. Mom, Christie, 36, and daughter, Zuri, 13, will be transferred with another Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited zoo where opportunities for reproduction can be maximized.
Experience the Serengeti of Salt Lake City at our Elephant Encounter exhibit! Watch our African elephants and white rhinoceroses flourish on an expansive re-creation of the African plains.
The Elephant Encounter provides a stimulating environment for our elephants and rhinoceros by providing them with a range of activities and habitats. The diverse environment promotes natural behaviors, giving the animals the physical and mental stimulation they need to stay healthy and happy.
Range:
Africa, primarily south of the Sahara.
Habitat:
Savanna or forest areas.
Characteristics:
African elephants are the world’s largest living land mammals. African Elephants have large ears, shaped like the continent of Africa. These ears wave away insects and have many blood vessels that help disperse heat. They also help direct sound and aide in excellent hearing. Elephant trunks can be up to 6 ft. long and weigh up to 300 lbs. Elephants use their trunks to eat, drink, bathe, feel and lift heavy objects. They can hold up to 1 1/2 gallons of water at a time. Their trunk also provides them with an excellent sense of smell. Both sexes of the African elephant species have visible tusks that grow about 4 inches each year. Because of their stature, they are unable to jump. However, they can run up to 25 mph for short distances.
Behavior:
Elephants are usually social animals with females and young living in family groups dominated by matriarchs, usually the oldest females in the groups. In cases of danger, herds form a defensive circle with oldest or largest cows assuming front positions, and spreading huge ears in a threatening display. Males live alone or in small groups, only joining cows temporarily during breeding season. Adult elephants sleep only about 3 – 5 hours daily and seldom lie down. Bathing is a treat when possible and mud baths are often taken to help relieve them from ticks and other insects. If no water is available, digging with forefeet in moist spots often produces pools which also benefits other animals.
Reproduction:
Gestation is 22 months and usually leads to single births. A birth may occur every 3-4 years for the remainder of the female’s life. Female calves usually remain with the mother throughout their lives but not the males. Breeding can occur year-round.
Interesting Facts:
The term pachyderm is Latin for thick-skinned. Referring to an elephant’s 1 inch thick skin.
Elephants have about 25 different sounds used for communication. Most of these cannot be heard by humans.
Elephants use tools, such as sticks and branches, for scratching.
Conservation:
Although it is difficult to know the current wild population of African Elephants, it is thought that fewer than 500,000 animals remain today. Most of this decline was believed to be from poaching and the illegal trade of ivory along with habitat loss due to human population pressure. Historically, the ivory trade was the greatest threat to African elephant populations, and remains a potential threat today. AZA zoos and other conservation organizations are working together to help this amazing species.
The African Elephant is one of Utah’s Hogle Zoo’s Big 6 species. To learn more about African Elephant conservation, CLICK HERE
Range:
South and East Africa
Habitat:
Drier savannahs and plains
Characteristics:
The white rhino is the 3rd largest land animal, after the two species of elephants. The white rhino has two horns on the end of its long head. White rhinos are also referred to as the square-lipped rhino, in reference to its wide, straight, non-hooked upper lip.
Behavior:
The white rhino is the only grazing rhino, and is mild in temperament. This species of rhino is the most social with females often living in groups of 5-7 individuals. Rhinos are very good mothers and will stay with a calf teaching and protecting it for 2-4 years. Adult males are solitary.
Reproduction:
Females become sexually mature at 5 years of age and bear their first calf at 6-8 years. A single birth is the rule, with the baby weighing only about 4 percent of the mother’s weight. Females seek seclusion from other rhinos at the time of birth.
Interesting Facts:
There are five living species of rhinos: white, black, Indian, Javan, and Sumatran. The black and white species live in Africa, while the other three live in Asia. All five species of rhino are critically endangered of going extinct.
At the Elephant Encounter, guests will have an incredible view of the world’s largest and second-largest land mammals at rest and play. Catch a daily training demonstration where keepers demonstrate how they check our elephants’ health and praise their good behavior with positive reinforcement.
Don’t miss the swimming channel at the east end of the Elephant Encounter exhibit. Here, our animals can cool off in an area that’s deep enough for an elephant to swim fully submerged in water!
Elephant Encounter features four outdoor habitats as well as the African Lodge. Guests first encounter a naturalistic habitat on the east end of the exhibit that features a swimming channel, deep with enough room for an elephant to completely submerge and swim from one end to another.
Walking further down, guests can get a nose-to-nose view of our elephants and rhinos near the Kopje. The Kopje (co-pea) is a part of our West Habitat and is made to resemble the small hills that rise from the African veld. It features a watering hole and a feeding area to attract the animals for a better view. At the Kopje, you’ll be able to observe the animals up close through safety windows that are two inches thick.
At the edge of our West Habitat, there is a smaller lodge that gives guests another vantage point to see the animals. There you’ll find educational activities like our Elephant Scale. The Elephant Scale encourages guests to pile on together to find out if they collectively weigh as much as a baby elephant, a newborn rhino, or week’s worth of elephant food.
A smaller lodge on the edge of the West Habitat gives guests another vantage point to see the animals, as well as additional educational activities. Several guests can pile on the “Elephant Scale” and see if they collectively weigh as much as a baby elephant, a newborn rhino, or as much as an elephant can eat in a week.
Capture a memorable moment with your family by snagging a photo next to our elephant sculpture that’s 13 feet tall! This work of art looks like a soapstone carving of an elephant and can be found at the entrance of the Elephant Encounter.
Near the sculpture, you’ll find some fun facts about how high an elephant can reach, why elephants like water, and other information regarding the elephant’s reproduction cycle. While you’re there, be sure to keep an eye out for elephant footprints!