Providence Zoo's Beloved Elephants Will Have New Home in 2027

Since 1990 Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence has been home to three beloved African elephants. But by 2027 that will no longer be the case.

The zoo has recently made the difficult decision to re-home the three friends to ensure that they always remain together and received the care that they need into their advanced years.

News that is tough for zoo visitors to hear, but that is definitely the best for the elephants.

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Alice, Ginny and Kate have been together for their entire lives. They came together to Roger Williams Park Zoo 34 years ago and will all turn 40 together later this year.

Though all three are in good health, they are reaching the later years of their life and ensuring the old friends remain together was a top priority for zoo staff.

In a press release about the decision, Stacey Johnson, executive director of Roger Williams Park Zoo, said,

“Alice, Ginny and Kate are healthy, and they’ve lived together for nearly 40 years. As they reach advanced ages, we want them to continue to live well. That’s why we are now making plans to move them together to a new home where they will have the company of fellow elephants and the care they will need to live out their days comfortably.”

Courtesy RWPZoo

Elephants are very social animals, living in large, female-led groups in the wild. Most AZA-accredited zoos like to keep groups of at least three, so transferring one or two of Roger Williams' elephants just wouldn't work.

Therefore, all three will be making their way to a facility that provides care for aging elephants with a larger herd and more companions to interact with in their later years of life.

The zoo's late 2027 timeline is due to the fact that it takes quite a lot of planning and preparation to move an elephant (not to mention three), but it also gives zoo visitors plenty of time to say good-bye to Alice, Ginny and Kate.

The zoo plans to throw the girls a 40th birthday party later this summer and there will presumably be more events for the beloved elephants closer to their actual departure date.

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