Tulsa Zoo Opens New Elephant Preserve Barn

Tulsa Zoo is opening the new Elephant Preserve Barn to the public on April 24, 2024. The barn is now the primary residence of the zoo’s three geriatric elephants Booper, Sneezy and Sooky while renovations are completed in The Oxley Family Elephant Experience.

The Tulsa Zoo is celebrating 70 years of commitment to Asian elephant care in 2024. The zoo has heavily invested in the species, spending $32.8 million on the Oxley Family Elephant Experience, Elephant Preserve Barn and the 10-acre preserve.

“The new Elephant Preserve Barn is a transformative space,” said Tulsa Zoo Curator of Mammals Jordan Piha. “It will allow us to provide individualized care to elephants at all stages of life. We hope that Tulsa Zoo will eventually be the home of a multi-generational herd.”

The Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Elephant Preserve is expected to fully open in early 2025. Once open, Tulsa Zoo will be home to one of the largest AZA-accredited centers for Asian elephants in North America.

For more information about this project, click here.