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Answering your questions about Buffalo's elephant relocation

The Buffalo Zoo's announcement to relocate its only elephants to New Orleans this fall resulted in dozens of comments on our social media platforms.

BUFFALO, NY - 2 On Your Side has received a lot of comments and questions about The Buffalo Zoo's decision to relocate its two elephants to New Orleans.

The elephants will not be replaced. The zoo says the elephants need to be moved because they're aging and won't get the services they need here. Many people are disappointed -- and have questions.

Why can't elephants Jothi and Surapa stay here as they age?

The zoo says the condition of its elephant exhibit is behind other zoos, such as the Audubon Zoo, that has a state of the art facility for aging elephants.

Could the zoo build a better, larger elephant exhibit here?

The zoo says it looked at the option of expanding, but says it would be a big project, that would slow down or eliminate other projects and would according to Christian Dobosiewicz, the communications manager of The Buffalo Zoo, "far exceed Jothi's and Surapa's life expectancy."

New Orleans was picked so they can be with other aging elephants. The Buffalo Zoo says it's on 23.5 acres of land and the Audubon Zoo is double that.

Why aren't the elephants being sent to a sanctuary, such as the one in Tennessee where they'll have more space?

"In some cases, sanctuaries are an option, but in this instance relocation to the Audubon Zoo is the best course of action," Dobosiewicz said.

Animal rights experts don't buy that.

"Elephants need a lot of room basically to roam not just feet, they need miles to roam and to forge for fresh vegetation and the zoo just can't provide that for them," said Jennifer Radecki of Animal Advocates of WNY.

How will the elephants get to New Orleans?

The zoo says they'll be put into massive containers made for elephants, moved by truck and monitored with cameras. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a non-profit focused on animal care, approves of this and the Buffalo Zoo's entire plan.

Officials at the zoo told us Monday they're not sure what will replace the elephant exhibit. Options are being looked at right now, and one of them is turning the area into a more advanced gorilla exhibit.

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