Smithsonian’s National Zoo To Welcome New Asian Elephant

The National Zoo will soon welcome Bozie, a 37-year-old female Asian elephant, into the Zoo’s existing herd. She will be on loan from the Baton Rouge Zoo. Bozie’s last companion at the Baton Rouge Zoo died in March. Elephants are social species and to meet Association of Zoos and Aquariums standards, both zoos are working diligently to transfer Bozie to the National Zoo, where she can prosper with other Asian elephants. The National Zoo recently opened the Elephant Community Center, part of the new Elephant Trails complex that can house a herd of 10 to 12 elephants.

Bozie will go into quarantine for a minimum of 30 days upon her arrival at the National Zoo, per standard procedure. An expert team of elephant keepers, nutritionists and veterinarians will care for her. Following quarantine, Zoo staff will begin the process of introducing her to females Ambika and Shanthi and male Kandula. Bozie was born in the wild around June 1975 and came to the United States from the Elephant Orphanage Department of Wildlife Conservation, Colombo, Sri Lanka, Nov. 2, 1976.

Funds for the elephant transfer are provided by Friends of the National Zoo, the Zoo’s membership organization.

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