Brookfield Zoo's elephant gets new playmate

Joyce is a 26-year-old African elephant who arrived at Brookfield Zoo on Sunday.

The newest resident of Brookfield Zoo is described by the staff as a "busybody" who loves splashing water, wallowing in mud and chowing down on oranges, watermelon and cantaloupe, but she's not exactly a kid.

Joyce is a 26-year-old African elephant who arrived at the west suburban zoo on Sunday, according to a release from the zoo. The nearly 8-foot, 6,800-pounds pachyderm arrived in a special truck from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, Calif., to become a companion for Christy, the zoo's 28-year old elephant.

“We are thrilled to have Joyce join Christy here at the zoo," vice president of animal care Kim Smith said in the release. "Our elephant team spent a long time visiting and evaluating suitable companions for Christy."

That was a high priority after the unexpected death of Affie, the zoo’s other African elephant, in May. Affie lived at the zoo for 30 years and, at nearly 40, was the fifth oldest African elephant in an accredited North American zoo, the release said.

“During the summer, our keepers have put a lot of extra time into Christy’s care and training because we wanted to help her adjust after losing her friend, Affie. She formed a stronger bond with her keepers and is doing very well,” Smith said.

Staff will introduce the elephants in a series of supervised visits as soon as possible -- a process which involves Joyce and Christy being rotated on and off exhibit. Once introductions are complete, they will be on exhibit together.

To help Joyce gets accustomed to her new home and to assist keepers in getting to know her better, the assistant curator of mammals from Discovery Kingdom will stay a few weeks at Brookfield Zoo to assist in the transition.

Though Joyce traveled extensively as a circus animal until 2005 and has been accustomed to changing environments, Smith said introducing two elephants is a highly planned process that takes considerable time to allow for adjustments.

“Both elephants will need to adjust to one another and figure out their relationship,” she said. “We believe that Joyce, with her easy-going temperament and playful manner, is a great match and that this will be good for both elephants."

She called Joyce a beautiful elephant. "You could even say she’s pretty.”

Courtesy of Mark Rosenthal