Cleveland Metroparks Zoo welcomes African elephant Kallie

CLEVELAND - A female elephant moved from the Philadelphia Zoo more than two years ago has been reunited with her former mate at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Kallie is a 29-year-old African elephant and is the newest addition to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. Her arrival is somewhat of a reunion, considering she once lived with three of the Cleveland Zoo's other elephants, Willy, Martika and Shenga, in Florida.

Kallie now has the chance to reunite with Willy, her companion of 15 years, for the first time since 1998.

“African Elephant Crossing is a world-class facility,” said Philadelphia Zoo General Curator and Director of Conservation Kim Lengel in a news release. "I visited the exhibit this fall and saw the care and dedication of Cleveland’s staff. I knew right away it would be an excellent home for Kallie."

Kallie, on loan from the Philadelphia Zoo, is the sixth elephant to call the Cleveland Zoo's $25 million state-of-the-art elephant exhibit home. It's the first time the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has had six elephants at one time.

Kallie's keeper will stay with her in Cleveland for a few days until she's acclimated to her new home.

Willy, Kallie, Martika and Shenga were all part of a massive privately owned herd of elephants at eccentric millionaire Arthur Jones’ property “Jumbo Lair” in Ocala.