Callee

Callee in April 2011

Callee (born September 19, 2000 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a male African Bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), resident of the Birmingham Zoo's Trails of Africa exhibit, where he is exhibited as part of a "bachelor herd" of three males.

Callee was the second African elephant to be born in captivity in North America since 1985, and has lived his entire life at the Pittsburgh Zoo. He was sired by Jack, a bull caught wild in Zimbabwe in 1978 when he was about 2 years old, and borne by "Savannah" a female, also caught in Zimbabwe in 1985, when she was about 3.

Callee, as an aging male, was beginning to be pushed out of the female-dominated herd at the Pittsburgh Zoo, which included his mother. This social separation is typical of wild elephants, and the further study of "bachelor herds" is part of the Birmingham Zoo's program for elephant conservation. He was moved to Birmingham in February 2011. At the time of the move, he stood about 7 feet tall at the shoulders and weighed nearly 5,500 pounds.

Callee joined Bulwagi, an older male from Disney's Animal Adventure in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and in May 2011 was joined by a contemporary, Ajani, from the Indianapolis Zoo. A fourth elephant is also due to arrive from the Dresden Zoo in late summer. Planners have said that the exhibit was designed for as many as 6 to 8 males.

References

• Zlatos, Bill (February 17, 2011) "Pittsburgh Zoo elephant to head south." Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
• Thornton, William (April 21, 2011) "Birmingham Zoo's elephants get to know each other." Birmingham News
• Thornton, William (May 13, 2011) "Birmingham Zoo elephant herd swells to 3 with arrival of bull from Indianapolis." Birmingham News

External links

• Birmingham Zoo website
• Callee at the Elephant Database