After 20 years at the Calgary Zoo, Spike the elephant has left for his new home south of the border.
The male Asian elephant was loaded into a custom-built crate Tuesday morning, headed for his new home at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida.
To keep him comfortable, the crate is equipped with climate control. A closed-circuit camera has also been installed so a team of veterinarians can keep a close eye on Spike’s condition during the four day trip by truck.
Spike came to Calgary from the Miami Zoo after Hurricane Andrew hit in 1992.
The zoo is moving him so he can join a larger herd of elephants at Busch Garden and take part in its breeding program.
The zoo’s three remaining elephants, all female, will be moved to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C., next spring.
The zoo says its elephant enclosure doesn’t provide its pachyderms with enough space or a large enough herd.
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