Everybody in! Zoo’s elephants take first dip in new pool

The Sedgwick County Zoo’s new elephants performed a first Saturday when they ventured into the water of their new exhibit and swam around, delighting visitors both on land and in the water nearby on a boat.

Not only that, but Stephanie, the zoo’s longtime elephant, led the pack into the water and got in chest-high herself, said Lauren Ripple, the zoo’s elephant manager.

“It’s amazing,” Ripple said. “The whole process took 10 minutes,” with four of the six juvenile elephants from Africa taking the plunge and swimming for about four minutes at about 3 p.m. Two of the less adventurous of them – Xolani and Talia – watched from dry land.

Even though it was a hot day, it was the slices of watermelon in the water that lured Stephanie in, Ripple said. Zookeepers had been spraying the older elephant with water cannons for a few days, and she had accepted it well, Ripple said. Luring her into the water was the next step.

The fact that the juveniles followed Stephanie into the water – and followed her out as soon as she decided she’d had enough – underscores the role that Stephanie has taken on with her new charges.

“She’s really proving to be a really great matriarch,” Ripple said. “This is a role she should have been in her whole life.”

Ripple expects that now that the elephants have experienced the water they will be back in.

“Typically, once elephants go through an experience and know it’s OK, they will be far more likely to do it on their own.”

The exhibit opened Memorial Day weekend. In addition to seeing the elephants on land, visitors can take a $3 boat ride that goes through part of the zoo and into the elephants’ pool. While it’s the same water, there is a barrier that keeps the elephants from crossing into where the boats are.

This story was originally published June 11, 2016 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Everybody in! Zoo’s elephants take first dip in new pool."