FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Priscilla Hagstrom
Director of Communications
469.554.7425 office
214.448.9136 mobile
priscilla.hagstrom@dallaszoo.com
Susan Eckert
Eckert Communications
214.528.9347 office
214.476.2008 mobile
susan@eckertcomm.com
DALLAS ZOO’S GOLDEN GIRLS ARE HOME AT THE GIANTS OF THE SAVANNA
The Dallas Zoo’s herd of five female elephants makes their home in the Giants of the Savanna
elephant habitat, which opened May 2010. An active group, similar to an actual matriarchal elephant
family in the wild, with relatively advanced ages, have led some at the Zoo to refer to the ladies as
their Golden Girls.
“Mama, Jenny, Gypsy, Kamba, and Congo, like all elephants, are naturally social, intelligent
animals,” said Gregg Hudson, executive director, Dallas Zoo and the Children’s Aquarium at Fair
Park. “They have strong personalities and they are older elephants, but very active. That’s why we
call them our ‘Golden Girls.’ We spent a lot of time and effort creating a natural habitat to let
elephants be elephants.”
“The Giants of the Savanna allows the elephants to be more active as they are in the wild – it
is a mentally and physically stimulating habitat,” said Lynn Kramer, DVM, deputy director for animal
conservation and science. “The design is based on field research. In the wild, elephants move around
a lot because they are looking for food, water, and entertainment. We created an activity-based,
multi-species habitat with the same incentives to encourage them to travel throughout the entire
space. The Giants of the Savanna habitat is one of the largest zoological elephant habitats in the
world. We’ll observe how they use their space and how an active lifestyle impacts their health and
then share that information with our fellow zoos and researchers studying elephants in the wild.”
- more -
GOLDEN GIRLS BACKGROUND
Page 2
About the Dallas Zoo’s Golden Girls.
Mama (born January 1970): Mama is often called an old soul. This curious mother and
grandmother is known for her sweet tooth, favoring sugar cane, and tidy eating habits (see her rake
food into a neat pile and daintily scoop it up). A childhood injury left Mama with a small hole in the end
of her trunk, which she has learned to compress while eating.
Jenny (born 1976 est.): A Dallas Zoo resident since December 1986 when Jenny, described
as vocal and playful by those who know her best, retired from circus life. The African elephant enjoys
watermelon, corn on the cob, and bananas. Jenny loves having a pedicure and her toenails groomed.
Gypsy (born 1982 est.): Known as an instigator of mischief, zookeepers say Gypsy is eager
and rambunctious. Gypsy, like her pal Jenny, is retired from circus and movie life and enjoys
watermelon. She loves attention and learning new things.
Congo (born February 1978): A circus retiree, Congo is called smart, investigative, and
inquisitive and is enjoying exploring all of the new things she can do at the savanna. She loves to
munch on bamboo, stripping layers of fibers and leaves off for a good chew, and enjoys regular
pedicures with toenail filing.
Kamba (born February 1980): Many describe the petite Kamba as friendly, calm, and cautious.
A former D Magazine cover elephant and TV star, she and best pal Congo have left celebrity life and
the circus behind for retirement on the savanna. Fond of cantaloupe, bamboo, and general grooming
sessions, Kamba is the smallest elephant in the family.
Elephant Water Hole. Guests can view African elephants at the Elephant Water Hole,
featuring a river for the elephants to splash and swim. During snack time, the elephants can push
against a custom-built African fig tree, using their weight to make it wobble and release nuts and fruit,
just as they do in the wild. A shaded animal enrichment and viewing area allows keepers to talk to
guests about elephant behavior and answer questions.
- more –
GOLDEN GIRLS BACKGROUND
Page 3
About the Golden Girls’ Home
The Elephant Savanna. The south habitat is primary territory of the Dallas Zoo’s Golden
Girls, a matriarchal family of five African elephants. With wallows, watering holes, trees to push and
rub against, and several enrichment and activity stations strategically placed throughout the savanna,
guests will see active elephants throughout the day. The south and north habitats can be opened to
one another, allowing the elephants and their hoofed friends to mix and mingle as they might in the
wild. The Elephant Savanna is an active elephant study facility, with experts collecting data to be
shared with scientists at other zoos and those working in the field. We study communication among
elephants, longevity, foot care (10,000 pounds is a lot to support), staying healthy and active, and
ways to improve their quality of life.
Simmons Safari Base Camp & Observation Deck. Giants of the Savanna guests can stop
in at the Simmons Safari Base Camp to play the Dallas Zoo’s own touch-screen elephant video
game, enjoy a demonstration on the insects of the savanna, and watch the elephant tracker to learn
how these giants spend their day. From the beautiful deck, take in the best view in the habitat and
overlook the entire Elephant Savanna.
The Elephant Barn. With a $2 million price tag, the technologically advanced elephant barn
offers numerous amenities. Climate controlled, the barn is equipped with radiant floor heating that
warms the sealed but soft, padded floor in the winter. Movable walls and transoms provide crossventilation in the summer. A community room with seven-foot-deep sand floors is the perfect place for
elephant interaction. To stimulate these accomplished diggers, zookeepers can bury food and toys in
the sand for the elephants to find, or they can create hills for them to cross as they enter and leave
the barn. The building has a seven-and-a-half-ton winch spanning the length of the barn, so if an
elephant needs help, caregivers have the much-needed muscle to help move an animal to
- more -
GOLDEN GIRLS BACKGROUND
Page 4
any point in the barn. The winch serves double-duty as an enrichment tool since it can be used to
hang food high in ropes or fire hose baskets, allowing the elephants to reach up and collect food with
their trunks, an activity they would do in the wild.
About the Dallas Zoo: The Dallas Zoo, an accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, is the
largest zoological experience in Texas featuring a 106-acre park, thousands of animals, and an education
department that offers programs for all ages. The official airline of the Dallas Zoo is American Airlines. The Zoo
is located at 650 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway (I-35 at Marsalis). Admission is $15 for ages 12-64, $12 for ages 311 and 65+, and free for ages 2 and younger and Dallas Zoological Society (DZS) members. The Zoo is open
seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, download the free iPhone app, visit
DallasZoo.com, or call 469 554 7500.
About the Giants of the Savanna. Go on Safari at the Dallas Zoo. The Dallas Zoo’s Giants of the Savanna
habitat, open since May 2010, provides an interactive experience for guests built around the many different
species of animals that call the savanna home: elephants, giraffes, impalas, zebras, ostriches, lions, warthogs,
red river hogs, guinea fowl, and cheetahs. Learn more about these animals while experiencing the unique
aspects of their habitat firsthand. Giants of the Savanna has received high praise from researchers, zoo
industry professionals, and Zoo guests. It was recognized for Significant Achievement with the Association of
Zoos & Aquariums’ 2011 Exhibit Award.
###