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Welcome to Project Elephant
 The Indianapolis Zoo has become a leader in the campaign for survival of the African elephant. Currently, the Indianapolis Zoo is home to five female and two male African elephants. Our herd includes the oldest and heaviest of the females – Sophi – plus the second oldest, Kubwa, next in line Tombi, and youngest adult female, Ivory. Ivory’s male calf, Ajani, was born in August 2000. The second youngest member of the herd is male Kedar, born to Kubwa on October 18, 2005. The newest member is female Zahara, born to Ivory on August 31, 2006. Zahara is pictured in the photo to the right taken by Don Reynolds.
Catch up with our elephants on their own web cam.
In 1998, the Indianapolis Zoo was successful in introducing an alternative reproductive technique for elephants. For the first time in the history of the species, two of our adult female African elephants that were artificially inseminated subsequently delivered healthy calves in 2000. Our research subsequently led to the successful insemination of elephants worldwide. Kubwa and Ivory made history again in 2005 and 2006 by becoming the first and second African elephants in the world to successfully conceive and give birth to a calf through artificial insemination for a second time.
Our breeding program is a collaborative effort with such colleagues as Germany’s Berlin Institute for Zoo Biology and Wildlife Research and Dr. Dennis Schmitt, veterinary reproductive specialist at Southwest Missouri State University.
In the summer of 2002, the Indianapolis Zoo opened its new African Elephant Preserve with a much larger barn and multiple yards to accommodate our growing herd. The new facility includes space for additional cows (females) as well as adult bulls (males) with plenty of room for training and exercise. The Preserve features grass yards, two pools, a waterfall outside and heated floors inside. This facility allows us to continue with our breeding program and other important research. To observe our elephants on exhibit, click here for the elephant web cam.
The Indianapolis Zoo also promotes public education on the plight of elephants in the wild and in human care through various educational and entertaining experiences, including our annual Elephant Awareness Week event.
What is an Elephant?
African elephants are living members of the order “Proboscidea” named for the trunk or nose. They are also called pachyderms for the Greek pachy derma or “thick skin.” The African elephant consists of two distinct subspecies, the bush elephant (Loxodonta africana africana) and the forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis). Differences between these subspecies are subtle but significant. The forest African elephant is smaller, has rounder ears, and its tusks grow straighter and are made of harder ivory.
With its distinctive shape and unusual nose it is hard to believe that the elephants’ closest living relatives might be the manatee and the hyrax. The elephant also has many ancestors who span millions of years. To see the difference between an African elephant and an Asian elephant, click here.
Read more about the world of elephants:
Meet the Elephants
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