Federal officials determined the plan to import 18 elephants from Africa, six of which will live at Omaha’s zoo, will have no significant environmental impact.
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The Dallas Zoo is partnering with the Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas, and the Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has officially approved the import of elephants from Africa to zoos in Wichita, Dallas and Omaha. The zoos say they’re working quickly to bring the elephants to the U.S. Together, they’ll provide homes for elephants that were slated to be culled.
The elephants have been living in a temporary holding area since July because of worsening conditions.
The company now in possession of the elephants says it can no longer care for them – and if they can’t be brought to the USA “they have no option but to cull the animals”.
The habitat will have enough space for the animals to roam, play and forage for food in their new social environment, Dallas Zoo CEO Gregg Hudson said in the news release. He says other options were not only too expensive, but not viable.
During the permit process, a group of 80 scientists and animal welfare experts expressed their strong opposition to the elephant import. “The news comes one week after these three zoos were dubbed the “terrible trio”, and named and shamed with the #1 spot on In Defense of Animals list of the 10 Worst Zoos for elephants in North America”. “Please avoid supporting this suffering and the conservation con – do not visit the zoo”. The fifteen females and three males will come from a wildlife trust in Swaziland, a southeastern African monarchy sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique.
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The Sedgwick County Zoo will receive one bull elephant and five cows.
