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Two new Asian elephants have joined the thriving herd at the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat.  Tess and her calf Tucker made their official debut today, joining the Zoo’s resident herd which includes females Methai, Shanti and her nearly 2 year old son Mac, and Thai, Mac’s father.

“Tess and Tucker have settled in extremely well with the rest of the herd,” said Houston Zoo elephant supervisor Martina Stevens.  “Mac and Tucker really seem to like each other.  We’ve seen them play together.  They act like the 2 and 3 year olds that they are and really seem to enjoy each others company,” said Stevens. 

Tess and Tucker arrived August 12 from Have Trunk Will Travel, one of the most respected elephant training and breeding facilities in the country.  “Over a period of about a week and a half, Methai, Shanti, and Mac got to know Tess and Tucker in a carefully managed and structured introduction process,” said Stevens.   “After about 14 or 15 days, all five elephants were together in the yard and everyone is getting along,” said Stevens. 

“Tess came to the Houston Zoo on a breeding loan and we made the decision to keep Tucker with his mother because of his age,” said Stevens.  “We’re very excited to have Tess at the Zoo and we’re making plans now to make her and Tucker permanent residents of the Houston Zoo,” said Stevens. 

 

Asian elephants are herbivores that can grow up to 21 feet long, stand up to 10 feet tall and can weigh in excess of 12,000 pounds.  Females reach about eight and a half feet tall and weigh less than males.  The Asian elephant is the second largest land mammal in the world and one of the most intelligent animals on earth.  Unfortunately, it is also one of the world’s most endangered species.    
 
Fortunately for the endangered species, there has been a resurgence among zoos to bolster breeding efforts to help stabilize the population. The Houston Zoo’s Asian elephant breeding program falls under the auspices of the Elephant Species Survival Plan administered by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).

At the turn of the 20th century, more than 100,000 elephants roamed their native habitat.  Today, only 30,000 remain in the wild—scattered among pockets of Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Indonesia and Vietnam.  Decades of war, an explosive human population growth and intensive agriculture continue to shrink their once abundant territories, leaving them prone to poaching and starvation.  Consequently, the gene pool for future generations of elephants is in a dire situation. 

 

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The Herd
Currently the Zoo houses six Asian elephants – Thailand, Methai, Shanti, Mac, Tess, and Tucker.

The Houston Zoo is one of only a few AZA accredited zoos that houses male (bull) Asian elephants.  Our adult bull, Thailand, also known as Thai, was born in Thailand in 1965 making him 43 years old.  He came to the Houston Zoo in 1980 and is the sire of Mac who was born in 2006. 

The Houston Zoo’s oldest female Asian elephant was born in Thailand in 1969 and is 39 years old.  She came to the Houston Zoo in 1981 and has delivered four calves.  While Methai currently has no offspring of her own, she is a proven surrogate mother and has been an “Aunt” to Mac.

The Houston Zoo’s youngest adult female Asian elephant is unrelated to either Thai or Methai.  Shanti was born at the Lincoln Park Zoo in 1990 and is 18 years old.  Shanti is Mac’s mother. 

Mac
When he was born October 1, 2006, Mac broke the birth weight record for largest Asia elephant calf – 384 pounds.  Mac now weighs over 2,100 pounds and has been eating solid food for over a year – his favorites are apples and watermelon.  He enjoys training and interacting with his keepers and has learned 30 behaviors.

Tess and her calf Tucker are the newest additions to the Houston Zoo’s elephant herd.  Tess is 25 years old and comes to the Zoo from Have Trunk Will Travel in California.    Weighing in at 6,400 pounds, Tess’ favorite foods are bananas and bamboo leaves.  Tess is described as very vocal elephant and something of a comic who can exhibit some rather silly behaviors at times.

Born March 12, 2005 at Have Trunk Will Travel’s California ranch, Tucker is 3 years old.  His favorite foods are grain, fruits and vegetables – in other words, everything!  He’s a chow hound.  Tucker is very playful, extremely vocal (just like his mother) and enjoys learning new things.  Tucker weighs 2,400 pounds.

 

A: Yes.  The Houston Zoo has added two elephants to our existing herd of 4.  They are a 25 year old female named Tess and a 3 year old male calf named Tucker.  Both are Asian elephants, the same species as the elephants we currently have.

A: Tess and Tucker came from Have Trunk Will Travel in California, one of the most respected elephant training and breeding facilities in the country.

A: The addition of Tess and Tucker to the Houston Zoo’s elephant herd provides the Zoo with two breeding age females, a playmate for Mac and a future unrelated male to succeed Thai, our 43 year old Asian bull elephant. 

There are presently only 13 female Asian elephants in AZA accredited facilities that are available for breeding to expand the domestic Asian elephant population.  Tess is currently the only breeding age female Asian elephant available that is compatible with the Houston Zoo’s long term conservation and breeding program. 

A: There are less than 30,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild.  Their numbers are in decline, due to habitat loss, conflicts with humans, and the illegal ivory trade.  There are approximately 150 Asian elephants in AZA accredited Zoos.  Unless more elephants are born to expand the domestic population and unless conservation efforts can halt the decline of the wild population, in less than 50 years we may not have any Asian elephants in the world.

A: Female Asian elephants are reproductive into their mid 40s and can give birth and raise a calf every 4 years.  So Tess could have 4 to 5 more offspring.

A: Tess is at the Houston Zoo on a breeding loan.  Since Tucker is only 3 years old, we didn’t want to separate him from his mother.  But we are making plans now to make Tess and Tucker permanent residents of the Houston Zoo.

A: Yes. We recently built a new 7,000 square foot barn and a new exhibit for our female Asian elephants and Mac our nearly 2 year old calf.  The new facilities were built with the idea that we would add to the Zoo’s elephant herd.  We have plenty of space for all our elephants.

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