Raja, the first Asian elephant born at the Saint Louis Zoo, will be saying his goodbyes to local fans in 2024. The nearly 31-year-old male elephant and father of three will soon make the move to Columbus, Ohio, where conservationists hope he will start a new family among the elephants of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The plan is for Raja to bond with four new females and mentor a young male elephant at the Ohio zoo. A potential new male for the Saint Louis Zoo herd—Samudra, a 15-year-old from Oregon—has already been identified. Both moves come based on recommendations from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP), which works to “manage the Asian elephant population in North America and maximize their health, wellbeing and genetic diversity.”
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Michael Macek, the director of the Saint Louis Zoo, said in a release announcing the change that moves like those planned for Raja and Samudra mimic the behavior of wild elephants. Males tend to live alone or in bachelor herds, staying with female, multi-generational family groups only to breed before moving on.
“This news is bittersweet for all of us,” Macek said in the release. “We know Raja is dear to his fans and to the Zoo family, and he’ll be missed here. But we know this is for the best for Raja and the survival of this species. Thirty years of birthday celebrations is something that will live on in everyone’s memories.”
Raja’s fans will have plenty of time to stop by and share their well-wishes before the elephant—whose name means king or prince—moves on to his new kingdom. The move is expected to take place in late 2024 or early 2025. Once he’s departed, the Saint Louis Zoo and SSP will be able to seriously consider moving Samudra or another potential match to River’s Edge.
“Obviously, nothing is certain when you’re planning this far in advance and with so many variables,” said AZA Asian elephant SSP coordinator Bob Lee in the same release. “But Asian elephants are facing a serious threat of extinction right now, and we need to be thinking ahead like this to ensure their survival into the future.”
