African elephant departing Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is preparing to say goodbye to one of its elephants.

Callee, a 22-year-old male African elephant, will soon join eight others at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas. His move was recommended by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ African Elephant Species Survival Plan.

His move is meant to resemble elephants’ natural behaviors in the wild. Adult males live in bachelor herds before finding females to breed, then moving on.

Callee was born at the Pittsburgh Zoo and came to Omaha in 2019 to help grow the herd. During his time at the zoo, he has sired three calves -- the most recent being born this past March. The zoo is expecting the birth of two more calves within the next 10 months.

The African elephant population is currently a threatened species due to poaching and trafficking for the illegal trading of ivory, in addition to habitat loss. The Zoo’s breeding program aims to protect the population of African elephants in the United States.

Logistics for Callee’s move to Wichita are still being worked out, but zoo officials say they anticipate his move to be complete by this spring.