Toronto Zoo to Move Elephants

The controversial African elephant exhibit will be shut down while Toka, Thika, and Iringa get ready to head to the U.S.

The Toronto Zoo will ship its three remaining elephants to a zoo or sanctuary in a more temperate climate in the United States. Toka, 41, Thika, 30, and Iringa, 42, had been the focus of a campaign, whose supporters included former game show host Bob Barker, to get the massive African mammals away from harsh Canadian winters, during which their mobility is limited because they must remain inside. The zoo's board ultimately decided that at $16.5 million, it would be far too expensive to expand the elephant facilities to give them more room to move about. The trio could stay at the zoo for another two years while staff prepare them for the move.