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The Elephant Sanctuary Welcomes Donna from Oakland Zoo

From The Elephant Sanctuary
September 2023

Donna was born in the wilds of Zimbabwe in 1980. At the age of two, she was captured and brought to the United States. She was sold to the Audubon Zoo in 1982, where she lived for eight years. Donna arrived at the Oakland Zoo in 1990 and resided with African male elephant Osh and African female Lisa, until Lisa’s passing in 2022.

The Sanctuary is excited to announce the safe arrival of African elephant Donna on September 13!

Donna made the journey from Oakland, California, to Hohenwald, Tennessee alongside dedicated zoo staff and veterinarian. Upon her arrival at The Sanctuary, Donna approached her new barn with a deliberate pace, meticulously examining every detail with her trunk. With lots of trumpets and rumbles, Donna dusted herself with sand and engaged with the enrichment provided by The Sanctuary Staff. She snacked on fresh watermelon and hydrating banana leaves before receiving a hose bath. It wasn't long before Donna ventured outside, spending hours exploring the rolling hills and dense woods of her new home in Tennessee and meeting her new herd mate, African elephant Flora, over a fence line.

AZA accredited Oakland Zoo made the decision to transfer Donna to The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, where three female African elephants of her similar age would provide companionship and fulfill her social needs. Donna joins Flora, Tange, and Sukari at Africa Habitat & Barn, which has five stalls and expansive habitat space for a successful introduction to The Sanctuary.

Donna was born in the wilds of Zimbabwe in 1980. At the age of two, she was captured and brought to the United States. She was sold to the Audubon Zoo in 1982, where she lived for eight years. Donna arrived at the Oakland Zoo in 1990 and resided with African male elephant Osh and African female Lisa, until Lisa’s passing in 2022.

"We are honored that our AZA colleagues at Oakland Zoo reached out to The Elephant Sanctuary in making this extremely important decision regarding the continued care and planning for Donna and are happy to announce her safe arrival to Tennessee. We are confident Donna will transition easily to The Sanctuary and, with time, build a close bond and share experiences with African female herd mates Flora, Tange, and Sukari," says Janice Zeitlin, CEO.

We look forward to sharing more about Donna's first days at The Sanctuary!

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