DENVER — A 9-year-old Asian elephant named Duncan has joined the herd at the Denver Zoo as part of the Asian Elephant Special Survival Plan.
The 7,700-pound Duncan arrived in the Mile High City from the Houston Zoo this week. He is the newest addition to the zoo's bachelor herd, which includes 53-year-old Groucho, 19-year-old Bodhi, 15-year-old Billy, 14-year-old Chuck and 13-year-old Jake and is already settling in, according to the zoo's elephant care experts.
Duncan was born on Feb. 7, 2014.
This transfer came at the recommendation of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan.
Male elephants leave their maternal herds when they begin maturing, which is typically between the ages of 8 and 11. They typically then live in loose bachelor groups, which includes an older bull elephant that serves as a mentor of sorts, the zoo said. These male elephants also go solo during musth, an annual hormonal cycle that involves high levels of testosterone and increased aggression. It can be difficult for zoos to manage.
That is why the Denver Zoo designed the Toyota Elephant Passage to support the elephants' needs during this time. Experts can set up the herd's socialization periods so none of the males are at risk of musth aggression.
The Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan was established in the early 1980s to conserve the species.
