OLDEST AFRICAN ELEPHANT IN NORTH AMERICA DIES IN MEMPHIS

Written by Karen Pulfer Focht ©

Memphis Zoo announced the death of one of its beloved elephants on Friday September 4, 2020.

Tyranza was the oldest African elephant in North America at age 56 she set the record for longest-lived African elephant in North America, the zoo said in their release.

Ty was born in the wild in 1964, where it is believed she was orphaned. After a short stint as a circus elephant with Ringling Brothers, she was retired to Memphis Zoo in 1977.

Houston Winbigler had a soft spot for Ty who was beautiful to him, in spite of her many wrinkles, chubby bottom and big ears. He barely admits that he and Tyranza had a close relationship. But after all, he cared for her for close to 40 years before retiring.

The Memphis Zoo keeper knew how to make Tyranza purr, he knew where she most likes to get scratched (her tongue), and he knew how her mind worked when it comes to a sense of fairness amidst the elephant herd. Zoo life suited her better than circus life.

She is smart. He has seen her use her nimble trunk with finesse. An elephant’s trunk can be used with such precision it can pick up a feather or it can be a deadly weapon.

Zoo officials believe members of Tyranza’s herd are mourning the loss of their matriarch.

Matt Thompson Chief Zoological Officer said Friday , “Elephants are both extremely intelligent and extremely social. They have been observed mourning deceased members of their herd in the wild. We expect to see the same behavior.”

Elephants are among the most beloved creatures on earth, but poaching and wildlife trafficking are decimating wild populations in Africa, said a lifelong animal conservationist Dan Ashe. And this isn't just an African problem. " Much of the ivory illegally harvested from these elephants ends up in the hands of American consumers, or passes through our ports on the way to Asia and other parts of the world," Ashe says. "The Memphis Zoo and other accredited zoos and aquariums across the nation play a key role in educating visitors about the problem and how their choices as consumers affect elephants and other imperiled wildlife."

Memphis Zoo is home to four female elephants. Visitors who would like to pay their respects may leave cards and flowers at the elephant statue on the Zoo’s front plaza starting Saturday, September 5th.

My story from 2016 in Memphis Magazine about Tyranza

https://memphismagazine.com/features/elephant-day-tusk-love/