Oklahoma City Zoo welcomes Seattle elephants
May 13, 2015, 9:19 AM | Updated: 12:52 pm
Two Asian elephants from Seattle have finally arrived in Oklahoma City after political opposition, legal challenges and stormy weather.
Bamboo and Chai arrived safely at the Oklahoma City Zoo Wednesday morning around 3 a.m.
Dr. Jennifer D’Agostino, Oklahoma City Zoo Director of Veterinary Services said, “Both Bamboo and Chai looked great this morning. They immediately interacted with the Woodland Park Zoo staff, ate snacks including watermelon, cantaloupe, raisins and hay, enjoyed sand baths and explored their surroundings.”
The animals will undergo multiple check-ups and will be quarantined for 30 days before joining the other five elephants at the zoo.
The female elephants’ trip began in April after a federal appeals court declined to block the transfer. The move was opposed by animal rights activists and at least one member of the Seattle City Council.
A storm last month diverted the pachyderms to San Diego, where they had stayed for a few weeks. The trip from California to Oklahoma took about 30 hours.
KIRO Radio’s Dave Ross talks to Alyne Fortgang, the founder of Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants and now probably Seattle’s most famous animal rights activist, who is convinced Bamboo and Chai will not fit in their new home.
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