In early 2016, the Sedgwick County Zoo welcomed six elephants from Eswatini to create a new herd in the Reed Family Elephants of the Zambezi River Valley habitat. Among this group was a young bull, SCZ’s first male African elephant named Titan.
The herd’s arrival in Wichita was part of a multi-zoo effort to rescue African elephants struggling to survive the severe drought conditions of Eswatini. When the elephants arrived, Titan was estimated to be 7 years old and weighed 2,410 pounds. Over the years, Titan has grown into a strong adult elephant, spending his formative juvenile years bonding with his keepers and herd, becoming an important and much-loved member of our Zoo.
Now at age 16 and after more than eight years of proper nutrition and care, Titan is a healthy 8,180 pounds and is ready to embark on a new journey as he prepares to join a new zoo.
Learning from the Best
As Titan has grown here at SCZ, he has had the opportunity to learn from other adult bulls, Callee and Ajani. Elephants learn best by interacting with other elephants and both Callee and Ajani were excellent teachers. They were instrumental in Titan’s development, showing him how to properly socialize with other elephants and learn natural breeding behavior. He is a clear extrovert and his favorite pastime is sparring, especially with herd mates Callee and Talia.
Becoming a Father
Titan is a valuable genetic addition to the African elephant population within AZA care. With help from his dedicated keepers and coordinated efforts from members of other AZA facilities, Titan has successfully sired two calves at other zoos through artificial insemination. These births are important in the effort to sustain the African elephant population in North America in order to secure a future for the species.
A New Adventure
Now in 2025, it is time for Titan to move from the herd at SCZ and on to a new one. The move has been recommended by the AZA’s African Elephant Species Survival Plan and mirrors the natural social behavior that would occur in the wild. When males reach maturity, they move away from the herd they grew up with in order to socialize with other elephants in new herds.
Sedgwick County Zoo is proud to have been Titan’s home for this very important period of his life, and we are honored to have been able to watch him grow into the amazing elephant he is today.
Travel plans are still being finalized, but the trip is expected to happen before spring. Be sure to stop by the Zoo soon to say farewell to Titan and keep an eye on SCZ’s social media platforms for updates as he gets settled in his new home.
