Former Woodland Park Zoo elephants Bamboo and Chai began mingling with Oklahoma City Zoo's other elephants for the first time last week. The elephants were allowed to roam together in their yard for a few hours, and zookeepers will extend that time a bit each day until Bamboo and Chai are fully integrated into the Oklahoma herd.
The Associated Press reports that the Oklahoma City Zoo staff is on the lookout for behavioral markers – they hope that the elephants will sniff each other and touch trunks, and avoid pushing and shoving. For now there is a barrier in place to prevent any aggressive behavior. Staffers from the Seattle zoo have been on hand to help with introductions and decipher body language. Bamboo was apparently shy to rub trunks with the others at first, but slowly is growing accustomed to her new home.
