LULU (African Elephant, Loxodonta africana)

1966 - April 9, 2024

We were sad to announce the passing of African elephant Lulu at the ARK 2000 sanctuary on April 9, 2024. The most caring decision was made to perform euthanasia to prevent suffering, as Lulu had endured degenerative joint disease, a leading reason for euthanizing elephants in captivity. She passed from this life surrounded by many who loved and admired her.

At age 58, Lulu was the oldest African elephant in North America. She also established the record for the longest-lived African elephant in North America. She lived most of her life at the San Francisco Zoo, and her final 19 years at PAWS.

Lulu’s age was exceptional for an African elephant in captivity, where the stresses and unnatural conditions of their confinement mean that elephants tend to live much shorter lives than do elephants in the wild. Wild African elephants can live well into their 60s. However, in captive situations their lives are frequently cut short by captivity-induced ailments such as premature arthritis and foot disease. When Lulu arrived at PAWS, she was already older than the median life expectancy for female African elephants in zoos.

Lulu was born in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland). She likely was captured when her mother was killed in a government cull, a traumatic event that Lulu would have witnessed. At two years old, an age at which elephant calves are rarely apart from their mothers, she was sold to be a display animal.

When the San Francisco Zoo decided to no longer exhibit elephants, Lulu came to live at PAWS in 2005. Once there, she had access to wide-open spaces in her large enclosure where she socialized with other elephants and engaged in behaviors natural to an elephant. For the last several years, African elephant Toka had been her close companion.

“We are humbled that the people of San Francisco entrusted Lulu to PAWS for 19 years. We did our very best for her,” stated PAWS Co-founder and President Ed Stewart. “Until her health recently took a turn for the worse, Lulu enjoyed climbing to the tops of hills to graze on fresh green grass. Lulu had incredible determination and spirit. We will all miss this truly special and dear elephant,” said Stewart. “We thank our loyal supporters for their help which has allowed us to care for Lulu and the other animals at the sanctuary.”

April 10, 2024

PAWS ANNOUNCES DEATH OF LULU —

OLDEST AFRICAN ELEPHANT IN NORTH AMERICA

Read our press release here.

Read "African Elephant Lulu and the Transformational Power of Sanctuary" in PAWS' September 2020 newsletter here.

1968, LULU'S ARRIVAL

AT THE SAN FRANCISCO ZOO: VIEW HERE

MAGGIE (African Elephant, Loxodonta africana)

1980 - August 3, 2021

Maggie was an African elephant who lived at the Alaska Zoo, in Anchorage, for 24 years.

Born in Zimbabwe, Africa around 1980, Maggie was captured after her mother was shot in a cull (the systematic killing of adult elephants by the government in order to control populations encroaching upon human civilization), and brought to the Alaska Zoo in 1983. After arriving at the Alaska Zoo Maggie became a companion for Annabelle, an Asian elephant. Sadly, Annabelle passed away in December of 1997 and left Maggie alone — the only elephant in Alaska.

Following an impassioned public outcry, the Alaska Zoo board of directors voted to move Maggie to a warmer climate. On Nov. 1, 2007, she was was crated and put aboard one of the largest cargo jets made, on loan from the United States Air Force, and flown 2,000 miles to California. Maggie's friend Bob Barker paid for her flight.

August 5, 2021

PAWS ANNOUNCES THE DEATH OF AFRICAN ELEPHANT MAGGIE

View our press release here.

MAGGIE'S MIGRATION,

From Alaska to ARK 2000: VIEW HERE

THE BIG DAY ARRIVES; Maggie joins her group: VIEW HERE

MAGGIE HEADS FOR THE LAKE: VIEW HERE

MAGGIE'S FIRST TREE: VIEW HERE

MARA (African Elephant, Loxodonta africana)

Like all elephants, Mara has a story to tell. Hers began in Africa, where she was born around 1980. She lived with her extended family, as baby elephants do, doted on by loving aunts and older female siblings. Her mother would have been fiercely protective, as Mara explored the rich and complex natural world that was her home.

Then disaster struck. Mara's mother was killed in a cull - the unconscionable government slaughter of elephants to reduce the size of a population. Mara surely saw her mother and other family members executed. The traumatized two-year-old calf was captured as part of the operation and sent to the Catskill Game Farm in New York. There she was sold to a European animal dealer who also happened to own the Happy Hollow Zoo in San Jose, California, where he sent Mara. The lone elephant at the zoo, Mara "entertained" visitors during the day. But behind the scenes, she was immobilized in chains and trained with a bullhook.

It didn't take long before Mara's life was to change again. The zoo threatened to sell her to a circus in Mexico, but a kindly group called "Friends of Mara" took up her cause, determined to stop the transfer. Fortunately, a very generous mother and daughter donated the funds needed to purchase Mara from the zoo. (This family is still helping Mara and PAWS all these years later, and we cannot thank them enough for their support!) Friends of Mara sent the young elephant to Florida where she lived with 80 other imported elephant orphans on a 600-acre estate owned by Nautilus exercise machine inventor Arthur Jones. After a few years, Jones began selling all the elephants, and Mara was yet again slated for sale to a circus.

That's when PAWS co-founders Ed Stewart and the late Pat Derby stepped in. They had previously rescued a sickly baby elephant named "71" from the same Florida estate. When they heard about Mara's fate, they alerted Friends of Mara and quickly moved to rescue her from a life of misery in the circus. Ed Stewart enlisted the help of a local truck driver and the two men headed out on the 6,000-mile, round-trip journey to Florida to pick up the young elephant and bring her back to PAWS. Mara arrived at PAWS' Galt sanctuary in January 1990, and shared a habitat with 71. The two remained companions until 71's death in 2008.

Today, Mara is known for her mischievous spirit, athleticism, high energy, and love of large, leafy branches that she skillfully removes from the sanctuary's trees. She has come a long way from her real home and family in Africa - a life we can never give back to her. What we can do is give her and all of our elephants the best life possible in captivity, for the entirety of their lives.

As elephants have a natural life span of 65-70 years (though their lives in captivity are often tragically cut short due to decades spent in unnatural conditions), it takes real commitment to care for them. We are proud that we have been able to provide our elephants with stability, a spacious and enriching natural environment, and a life of peace and dignity.

THE TORONTO ELEPHANTS

THIKA (African Elephant, Loxodonta africana)

In May 2011, the Toronto Zoo board voted to end the zoo's elephant program and send their three elephants to another facility. In October 2011, the Toronto City Council voted to move the elephants to PAWS. Thika, Toka and Iringa arrived on October 20, 2013.

Thika (pronounced “Teeka”), an African elephant, was born at the Toronto Zoo on October 18, 1980. Her mother was Tequila and her father was Tantor. Thika lost her mother in 2008, when Tequila was age 38 (female offspring naturally remain with their mothers for life). Tantor died in 1989 at only 20 years old. Thika’s birth was followed three years later by the arrival of a sister, Tumpe, who was transferred to another zoo at the age of three. Thika is the youngest and the tallest of the three elephants.

The Toronto Elephants: PAWS Photo Albums

Album #1 "The Journey" - view here

Album #2 "First 30 Days" - view here

TOKA (African Elephant, Loxodonta africana)

Born in 1970 in Mozambique, Toka is an African elephant who was captured in 1972 and acquired by the Toronto Zoo on September 4, 1974. She was among the first group of elephants to arrive at the newly opened zoo. Like Iringa, she was orphaned after her mother was killed in a cull, and was sold to the Toronto Zoo by an animal dealer. Toka made her way to PAWS with Thika and Iringa, arriving at ARK 2000 on October 20, 2013. The Toronto Zoo board voted in May 2011 to end the zoo's elephant program and send the elephants to another facility. In October 2011, the Toronto City Council voted to move the elephants to PAWS.

It’s easy to identify Toka, with her elegant, long tusks. She is the most adventuresome of the three elephants. Toka likes to grab a bundle of hay and tuck it under one of her tusks – then she snacks on it as she walks.

IRINGA: In Memoriam

It is with great sadness that PAWS had to say a final good-bye to African elephant Iringa, who was humanely euthanized at ARK 2000 on July 22, 2015. She had a long history of degenerative joint and foot disease, the leading reasons for euthanizing elephants in captivity. At age 46, Iringa was among the oldest African elephants in North America. Read PAWS' press release below.

IN MEMORY OF IRINGA

GYPSY (Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus)

Nicholas and his surrogate mother, GYPSY, arrived in Galt on April 2, 2007. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Hawthorn Corporation negotiated a consent agreement which permitted the transfer of the two Asian elephants to PAWS. The two elephants were closely bonded and their devotion to each other was indescribably touching. They shared food, rumbled, chirped and remained in close proximity to each other at all times.

When we accepted the responsibility of caring for Nicholas & Gypsy, we knew that dealing with the relationship between the young male and his older female companion would be challenging. When Nicholas matured and his hormones became an issue, separation would be inevitable.

When it came time to separate the two, on January 13, 2009, we knew it was the end of an era, a time when the young, captive born male no longer needed a surrogate mother. Gypsy had provided security, safety and wisdom to him as long as she could. In the wild, he would be sent out to follow older bulls and learn the ritual that all elephants understand.

We moved Gypsy down the hill where she was given a much deserved rest and retirement after the daunting task of raising a young bull.

Gypsy was born in 1967.

NAP TIME FOR GYPSY: View Here

NICHOLAS (Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus)

Nicholas was a 13-year-old bull elephant when he arrived at our Galt Sanctuary on April 2, 2007. He was born on December 15, 1993, at a circus breeding facility, then separated from his mother before he was two years old. He was trained to ride a tricycle and performed in a circus at that age. The circus retired him when he became to difficult to manage at the young age of five.

Nicholas lived with Gypsy (see above), an unrelated female, who was his constant companion for nine years. The two shared a single stall until their transfer to our Galt sanctuary where they remained in mandated quarantine for one year. They were then moved to their new home at ARK 2000. When they arrived in Galt, their obvious devotion to each other triggered our decision to keep them together for as long as possible.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Hawthorn Corporation negotiated a consent agreement which permitted the transfer of the two Asian elephants to PAWS. The two elephants were closely bonded and their devotion to each other was indescribably touching. They shared food, rumbled, chirped and remained in close proximity to each other at all times.

When we accepted the responsibility of caring for Nicholas & Gypsy, we knew that dealing with the relationship between the young male and his older female companion would be challenging. When Nicholas matured and his hormones became an issue, separation would be inevitable.

When it came time to separate the two, on January 13, 2009, we knew it was the end of an era, a time when the young, captive born male no longer needed a surrogate mother. Gypsy had provided security, safety and wisdom to him as long as she could. In the wild, he would be sent out to follow older bulls and learn the ritual that all elephants understand.

We moved Gypsy down the hill where she's been given a much deserved rest and retirement after the daunting task of raising a young bull.

Nicholas is now a neighbor to Prince, PAWS' other bull elephant.

NICHOLAS PERFORMING ON A TRICYCLE: VIEW HERE

NICHOLAS & GYPSY move to ARK 2000: VIEW HERE

NICHOLAS' FIRST DAY

in his new habitat: VIEW HERE

NICHOLAS PLAYS in his lake: VIEW HERE

BATH TIME ON BULL MOUNTAIN: VIEW HERE

NEW BARN, FRESH DIRT: VIEW HERE

PRINCE (Asian Elephant, Elephas maximus)

Prince (Chang Dee) arrived at PAWS on July 21, 2011. Upon arrival, he threw dirt for two hours, ate like a fiend, had a drink, then laid on his dirt pile and went to sleep.

Prince is a retired circus elephant donated voluntarily to PAWS, at its request, by Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. He was born on May 24, 1987, at the Portland Zoo — part of their highly touted captive breeding program. Prince's mother was Me-tu, also born at Portland Zoo; his father was Hugo.

Prince loves his habitat at ARK 2000, especially the pool. He is in and out of his pool all day, ending each of his forays down the hill with a 20- or 30-minute dip. He has also learned to pull branches out of the oak trees. One week we observed him challenging one of the smaller trees to a game of "shove." The tree lost, but will ultimately keep growing.

THE ARRIVAL OF PRINCE: View Here

DAY 2: Introduction to outdoor yard and pool: View Here

DAY 2: Introduction to large habitat: View Here

FIRST DAY IN HIS POOL: View Here

Prince loves his pool! View Here