New York City’s last remaining elephant could soon leave the Bronx for a sprawling wildlife sanctuary in Tennessee, according to a new report.
The Bronx Zoo is considering relocating Patty, a 57-year-old Asian elephant, only months after Happy, another longtime elephant at the zoo, was euthanized following hospice care, Gothamist reported.
Representatives from the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Bronx Zoo’s 265-acre campus, recently visited The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee to determine whether the facility might be an appropriate new home for Patty, the outlet said.
Members of the zoo’s elephant care team toured the sanctuary’s 3,000-acre property in Hohenwald, where 12 elephants currently live, reviewing the facilities and meeting with staff as part of the evaluation.
“We want to make sure that we feel that it would be the right move for her, and the risks would be outweighed by the potential gains,” Bronx Zoo Director Craig Piper told the outlet in an interview.
“We want to make sure that we do the best thing for Patty,” Piper added.
Patty’s companion, Happy, a 55-year-old Asian elephant, was euthanized at the Bronx Zoo in May after her health declined rapidly, officials previously said.
Happy had been a beloved presence at the zoo and was known for hiding watermelon and strawberries in her ear to snack on later. In the period before her death, she showed signs of declining kidney and liver function.
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Happy was also the center of a 2018 lawsuit by animal activists who tried to have her declared a “person” over her storied intelligence.
The lawsuit by the Nonhuman Rights Project, which claimed Happy was not being properly cared for nor had adequate space at the Bronx Zoo, was shot down by New York’s top court — but the activists continued to rally against Happy’s conditions in the final years of her life.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums typically requires zoos to keep a minimum of three female elephants, though a zoo with only one can apply for a variance, the outlet reported.
Many zoos, including the Los Angeles Zoo and the Oakland Zoo, have shuttered their elephant exhibits in recent years.
The Nonhuman Rights Project is urging the Bronx Zoo to let Patty flee the city to the Tennessee sanctuary.
“ The Nonhuman Rights Project is calling on the Bronx Zoo to send Patty to a sanctuary,” Executive Director Christopher Berry told the outlet.
Zoo officials, however, said they are not weighing outside opinions in the choice to transfer Patty.
There are still some risks with transporting Patty across state lines and separating her from her care staff, as well as concerns with her bonding with new elephant pals, Piper said.
“So it’s still under consideration, but we’re going to be very thoughtful, consider all the possibilities,” he said. “If we were to decide to make a move for her, there’d be a long effort, and a well-thought-out plan to implement.”
The Bronx Zoo did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
