Roger Williams Zoo Elephants Leaving Providence After 36 Years

Alice, Ginny, and Kate, the three African elephants who've called the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence home for almost 36 years, are packing their trunks and preparing to ship out.

The ladies are retiring to Tennessee.

Extensive Evaluation Leads to Tennessee Sanctuary Choice

In a statement, officials announced, "Roger Williams Park Zoo has selected The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee as the future home for its African elephants, Alice, Ginny, and Kate." The statement says the decision follows an "extensive evaluation process."

"For more than 35 years, Alice, Ginny, and Kate have been cherished members of the Roger Williams Park Zoo family and beloved by generations of Rhode Islanders," according to the zoo, which said it plans to relocate the elephants in late 2027.

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Ensuring Lifetime Care for an Aging Elephant Herd

"As they reach advanced ages, we want to make sure they continue to receive the care they will need and will always have the companionship of other elephants," the zoo said.

https://www.rwpzoo.org/elephantannouncement/

The Elephant Sanctuary, which has been in existence for 30 years, says its mission is to "provide a natural habitat refuge developed around the needs of Asian and African elephants, where elephants are provided with lifetime care," and to "support and promote elephant welfare and conservation," as well as to "educate the public regarding the complex needs of elephants and the challenges facing elephants in the wild."

The Future of Elephant Exhibits in Southern New England

Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford successfully opposed attempts by animal activists to have the zoo's Asian elephants, Emily and Ruth, relocated to a sanctuary.

Emily, who is 62, has outlived her longtime companion, Ruth, who passed away in December 2024. She was 66.

Neither zoo plans to replace its elephant herds in the future.