Jake and Chuck

In September 2018, Denver Zoo became home to the largest bachelor herd of Asian elephants in North America following the arrival of two new residents from Ontario, Canada. Jake, age 9, and Chuck, age 10, joined Groucho, Bodhi and Billy in Toyota Elephant Passage, which is one of the largest and most complex elephant exhibits in the world with two miles of interconnected trails, more than 1.2 million gallons of water for swimming and bathing, and various other features and ensure the elephants’ physical, mental and behavioral well-being.

With a global population estimated at fewer than 35,000, Asian elephants are classified as “endangered” on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, primarily due to habitat loss and increasing conflict with humans. Denver Zoo plays a unique and critical role in the long-term viability of the species by connecting millions of visitors each year with these majestic giants, and by housing only males, whose genetics are valuable to the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan.

We encourage you to meet Jake, Chuck and the rest of the boys in Toyota Elephant Passage, and welcome them to Denver as they continued to get settled into their new home!