Zoos hope for romance among Asian elephants in Oklahoma

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City),  Jun 5, 2008  by Brian Brus

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Brian Aucone's professional matchmaking skills are being put to the test - Chandra and Asha, two young Oklahoma City females, don't have a lot of dating experience, but they're ready to settle down and start families.

Chandra has a sweet tooth for cantaloupe and watermelon, and watches her girlish figure with a steady diet of bamboo snacks. Asha, on the other hand, isn't quite a picky; she'll eat almost anything. Their profiles note that Asha is a little ditzy, while Chandra is the smarter, more social of the sisters.

Their potential love connection: Sneezy, a mature Asian elephant who lives in Tulsa. He's currently in relationships with several other female elephants, said Aucone, the Oklahoma City Zoo's director of animal management.

"Like most females, they probably want a gentlemanly male to court them, and Sneezy is supposedly a very considerate individual," Aucone said. "He's very nice to the ladies and doesn't push the issue. I assume they will have an enjoyable time during their visit."

The elephants will be sent to Tulsa sometime this summer, Aucone said. The visit was arranged at the request of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums under the Species Survival Plan. The program tracks the genetic backgrounds of animals throughout the zoo system and tries to ensure a diverse, vital breeding stock as a hedge against extinction.

The young females from Oklahoma City haven't bred yet, so they're next on the association's list for offspring, Aucone said. They've lived in Oklahoma City since 1998, when they were 2 and 3 years old.

The timing of the visit is good for Oklahoma City's remodeling plans, as well. Zoo spokeswoman Tara Henson said the park is in the process of designing a new, sales tax-funded Asia-themed exhibit, which should be ready for the public in 2010 about the same time Chandra and Asha come back to town, hopefully with at least one baby on the way.

The elephant exhibit is being planned for about 12 acres.

The temporary animal exchange will further strengthen the bond between the state's two largest zoological parks, she said.

The zoo will use Nashville-based Planned Migration, a professional animal transport company, to move the elephants. Asha and Chandra require specially designed trailers, Aucone said - "Your standard Atlas Vanlines trailer, if you put an elephant back there, she would walk right out the side of it."

Elephants normally live in matriarchal groups, with a single older female leading the herd while the males tend to keep to themselves, Aucone said. Asha and Chandra will need to introduce themselves to the head female in Tulsa before they can meet Sneezy. Aucone said a chaperone from the Oklahoma City Zoo will be sent with the girls to help their transition.

Sneezy's representative could not be reached for comment.

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