A Habitat Fit for Kings
Endangered Asian elephants have a matriarchal social structure, leading males to leave their maternal herds and form loose bachelor groups as they mature. Recognizing the need to house male Asian elephants from zoos accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we created Toyota Elephant Passage, a habitat designed specifically for bull elephants, where our teams continually learn about the complex social dynamics of these animals.
Toyota Elephant Passage is one of the largest and most complex elephant habitats in North America, spanning 10 acres with two miles of interconnected trails. This multi-species habitat allows Asian elephants and other species to rotate among five distinct habitats. Featuring mud wallows, scratching trees, shade structures, and over a million gallons of water for swimming and bathing, the habitat fosters active, engaged, and healthy animals while providing them with daily opportunities for varied social experiences.
Innovative Care for Bodhi
While the variability in the habitat and social groups works well for our other five elephants, our Animal Care team noticed that 20-year-old Bodhi didn’t display the same confidence as the other bachelors in moving between the various habitats in Toyota Elephant Passage. To support Bodhi’s wellbeing, his dedicated team developed a personalized care plan and created a way to better communicate these changes with Bodhi.
His team developed a shape system to represent each elephant in our bachelor herd. With these shapes, Bodhi can now choose whether he wants to spend time by himself or socialize with companions. As the star of this unique training program, it’s only fitting that Bodhi is represented by a blue star!
Thanks to this specialized training two years in the making and the dedication of his devoted care team, our teams share that Bodhi is more confident when moving between habitats and interacting with other elephants. This innovative training gives him more choice and control over his social interactions, has boosted his confidence and helps create a positive, enriching environment.
Watch the video below to learn more about this specialized care from Curator of Large Mammals Maura Davis and Animal Care Specialist Lauren Cahill.
Bodhi’s story is just one example of the personalized wellbeing plans our dedicated teams create for over 2,500 individual animals. Want to support this expert care? Donate to DZCA this Colorado Gives Day! Your contribution helps us continue providing exceptional care to stars like Bodhi. Donate here and thank you for supporting lives well lived!
