SEATTLE - Woodland Park Zoo's female Asian elephant, Bamboo, will return to Seattle in the next few months. The 39-year-old elephant was transferred in August 2005 to Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma. The original move was made in order to integrate Bamboo into the existing herd of two Asian elephants at Point Defiance. Both institutions are accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA).

Point Defiance has two female Asian elephants: 41-year-old Suki (SOO-key) and 42-year-old Hanako (HAH-nuh-koh). Woodland Park's herd is all females: Asian elephant 27-year-old Chai (rhymes with eye), her 5-year-old calf Hansa (HUN-suh) and African elephant 37-year-old Watoto (wah-TOE-toe).

AZA, which recognizes the social nature of elephant communities and recommends that elephants be managed in groups of three or more, sanctioned the original move of Bamboo to Tacoma. “While Bamboo quickly acclimated in terms of eating, exploring her new habitat and interacting with animal care staff, the three animals have not integrated into one herd,” said Woodland Park Zoo General Curator Dr. Nancy Hawkes. “We cannot always predict how an individual animal will fit into a new social situation. After careful, ongoing evaluation by both of our expert teams, our collective professional judgment is that it is in the best interest of the three elephants to return Bamboo to Woodland Park Zoo.”

Suki and Hanako have lived at Point Defiance since 1996 and 1997, respectively. “We had hoped and were optimistic that Bamboo would fit in socially with our elephants,” said Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium Deputy Director John Houck. “Unfortunately, that was not the case. We proceeded very cautiously with introducing Bamboo, but in the end, Suki and Hanako refused to accept her. We’ve said all along that we would take our cues from the behavior of the elephants and this is what we’ve done in reaching this decision with our colleagues from Woodland Park Zoo.”

Woodland Park will make arrangements for the move. It may take the zoo a few months to finalize shipping arrangements. “Bamboo is receiving excellent care at Point Defiance and there is no urgency with the timing. Shipping animals, especially a large mammal such as an elephant, requires extensive planning and there are a limited number of people with the expertise necessary for such a move,” explained Hawkes.

Bamboo will continue to have daily access to the exercise yard at Point Defiance. “Bamboo has a great relationship with her keepers,” said Houck. “She is very easy to work with and participates fully in her own health care program, so we are able to continue to provide quality care for her until she leaves us.”

Woodland Park will be evaluating long-term options for Bamboo. “We don’t have immediate plans, but we will evaluate other AZA-accredited zoos to identify a potential future home for Bamboo,” said Woodland Park Deputy Director Bruce Bohmke. “She may continue to live indefinitely at Woodland Park Zoo or, if we find a suitable zoo that serves the best interest of Bamboo and another herd, we will consider that option. Once she arrives, our focus will be to reintegrate her into our herd and re-establish her care at Woodland Park.”

As accredited members of AZA, Woodland Park and Point Defiance meet or exceed rigorous AZA Standards for Elephant Management and Care. AZA continuously evaluates and raises the requirements for elephant care in zoos.

Woodland Park Zoo has been caring for elephants for 85 years and its staff has more than 200 combined years of elephant management experience. Point Defiance has a 40-year proud tradition of caring for elephants and was among the first zoos to pioneer protected contact, a reward-based management system that separates the keepers and the elephants by a protective barrier.

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Accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, award-winning Woodland Park Zoo is famed for pioneering naturalistic exhibits and setting a standard for zoos all over the world. The zoo is helping to save endangered species in Washington state and around the world. By inspiring visitors and others to care and act, Woodland Park Zoo is making a difference in our planet’s future.

Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium promotes responsible stewardship of the world’s resources through education, conservation, research and recreational opportunities. The Zoo, a division of Metro Parks Tacoma, is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.

Founded in 1924, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. AZA currently has 210 accredited members in the U.S. and Canada and Hong Kong, which are visited by more than 143 million people annually. Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats.

Visit the Elephant Care and Conservation Web site.