Tulsa Zoo Q&A: Get to know elephants Billy and Tina

It has been more than two months since elephants Billy and Tina left the Los Angeles Zoo to join the herd at the Tulsa Zoo. The transfer was at the direction of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Elephant Species Survival Plan.

The pair joined a herd of two males and three female Asian elephants named Sooky, Sneezy, Booper, Connie, and Hank. Getting all of the elephants acquainted with Billy and Tina is a gradual process. Jessica Scallan, Zoological Manager of Elephant and Hoofstock, explains how it works.

Q: Why can the elephants not be introduced right away?

A: It is strategic where we have to understand each elephant's personality, their histories, and their hormonal status to kind of coordinate that plan. These are very large animals; they are very socially complex, they have so many bonds and different emotions, just like you and I.

Q: You start new elephants off with a "howdy." Can you explain what that is?

A: That is where we put the elephants on one side of a barrier and the other elephant on the other side, so that we can kind of see where that relationship is going.

Q: The first time the elephants share the same space, what are you looking for?

A: We are watching for species-specific behaviors, positive interactions, and that kind of lets us know whether or not we are heading in the right direction. The behavior can be sometimes indifferent and they are just kind of eating next to each other, sometimes there is lots of trumpeting, and sometimes a little bit of roughhousing.

Q: Who has Billy and Tina bonded with the most?

A: Tina made good friends with Booper, Hank, and Sneezy. So far, Billy has been a good friend to all, but today we had him in the yard with Connie and Booper.

Q: What have you learned about Billy's personality since being at the Tulsa Zoo?

A: He is very food-motivated when it comes to hay; he loves his hay, and he likes very clear, direct instruction.

Q: What have you learned about Tina's personality since being at the Tulsa Zoo?

A: She is also very food-motivated, but she likes the snacks, so things like popcorn, rice cakes, jello, you know, all the carbs. Tina is a very vocal elephant. You will hear her across the whole facility, kind of making these high-pitched noises, and she does that every time an elephant comes to greet her; she gets excited.

For more information or to plan a trip to the Tulsa Zoo, visit their website.