Tyler’s Caldwell Zoo Officially Introduced their New Elephants

The Caldwell Zoo in Tyler has two new additions to the East Africa exhibit, meet Emanti and Mac. They are two 9 year old African Elephants that came from the San Diego Zoo to have a permanent home in East Texas.

This was in partnership with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Species Survival Plan according to a Caldwell Zoo press release.

This was a two year process to bring these elephants to Tyler. Both elephants were specially trained in San Diego to make the trip to the Texas. Once they arrived, there was a process to pair them with Caldwell Zoo's elephant matriarch, Tonya.

Caldwell Zoo Executive Director Hayes Caldwell told us today that elephants are highly sociable animals. Tonya had lost her partner last year and this gives her some company.

42 year old Tonya will now be the leader of the two new 9 year olds.

Your next visit to Caldwell Zoo, you will get to see the new arrivals. Hayes Caldwell said that with the weather warming up, all three will spend a majority of their time outside.

Grab the family and make a trip to, arguably, one of the best zoos in the country.