Zoo Knoxville’s Jana The Elephant arrives at new home

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - One of Zoo Knoxville’s elephants found her new home, zoo officials announced on Tuesday. Jana arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, on Tuesday.

“It was an emotional moment watching Jana’s departure,” said Lisa New, Zoo Knoxville president and CEO. “She is beloved and we will miss her greatly, but we have honored our commitment to Jana to ensure her wellbeing and care through every stage of her life. We all look forward to watching her continue to thrive under the care of our colleagues at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee.”

A public farewell for the 42-year-old African elephant was hosted on April 14 through April 16.

Previous Coverage: Zoo Knoxville to host public farewell for Jana the elephant

Jana is just the first elephant of three at Zoo Knoxville who will move to The Elephant Sanctuary. Her long-time companions Edie, a 39-year-old female, and Tonka, a 45-year-old male, will arrive at the sanctuary in the coming months, according to Zoo Knoxville officials.

Previous Coverage: All three elephants at Zoo Knoxville moving to sanctuary

Zoo Knoxville representatives said that the move was necessary to ensure that the elephants’ social needs are met as they get older.

Jana’s transition to her new home can be observed via their live-streaming EleCams at www.elephants.com/elecam, and on social media @theelephantsanctuary.

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