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Three elephants arrived at the National Zoo Friday after a 60-hour, 2,500 mile drive from Canada. The three female elephants—-Kamala (39), Swarna (39), and Maharani (23)—-are on loan from the Calgary Zoo and join the National Zoo’s four other Asian elephants.
The elephants made the trek in 10,000 pound travel crates. They’ll now be quarantined for about 30 days before they’re introduced to the other elephants.
Bummer! Luckily for zoo-goers hoping for an elephant fix, there’s a 24-hour elephant cam for that.
“Our dedicated team of animal care staff worked diligently for more than three months to train our female elephants to ensure a safe journey,” says Calgary Zoo curator Colleen Baird in a release from the National Zoo.
David Rubenstein, the co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, donated $2 million to cover the costs of transporting the elephants, training the zookeepers, upgrading the elephants’ facilities at the National Zoo, and in situ conservation. The money also covered health assessments and veterinary costs for the elephants. Rubenstein previously donated $4.5 million to fund the zoo’s giant panda program through 2016.
Read more about the new elephants from the National Zoo here.
Flickr photo via National Zoo
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