Longtime Reid Park Zoo residents Connie and Shaba left their decades-old home Wednesday morning for the San Diego Zoo.
Despite the controversy surrounding the elephant saga, the exodus was uneventful, unmarked by protests.
The San Diego Zoo reported Connie and Shaba arrived there safe at 7:30 p.m. and are doing well.
The zoo for months has been embroiled in a highly public dispute over earlier plans to separate the two, who lived together for nearly 30 years. With zoos frowning on the mingling of species, Connie, the Asian elephant, was originally slated to go to San Diego, with Shaba, the African elephant, staying at the Reid Park Zoo to integrate with a new breeding herd of elephants.
In an attempt to quell the ongoing criticism that typically spilled over into the weekly City Council meetings, the mayor negotiated a deal with San Diego to take both elephants.
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The elephants will spend 30 days in quarantine before mingling with the existing San Diego elephants. Two elephant trainers, who retired recently from the zoo, followed Connie and Shaba to California, and have committed to staying as long as necessary until the elephants have settled in and are ready to respond to their new surroundings.
San Diego trainers spent time in Tucson to make sure they could adhere to the same routines and training words to smooth the transition.
Given the controversy surrounding the elephants, zoo spokeswoman Vivian VanPeenen said the zoo opted not to have a goodbye celebration to make sure the departure was as orderly as possible.
A male and female elephant from San Diego arrived in Tucson over the weekend. Another female and her two male offspring will arrive in coming weeks.
The zoo's new $9.7 million elephant exhibit, along with its new residents, will be unveiled to the public on March 28.
VanPeenen said Connie and Shaba will receive good treatment in San Diego, where the exhibit is designed for aging elephants, including soft floors, heating and cooling units and a medical facility.
Jessica Shuman, one of the most vocal critics of the zoo's plans, said she wants to have faith that the two elephants will be kept together, but isn't particularly hopeful. She said elephant advocates will continue to press the city to enter into a clear agreement with San Diego that they should not be separated. "They still need and deserve a guarantee," she said. Advocates will also continue to monitor their health and integration status in San Diego, she said.
Contact reporter Rhonda Bodfield at rbodfield@azstarnet.com or 5732-4243.
