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Rose-Tu
Rose-Tu was the most recent elephant born at the Oregon Zoo. She was born on Aug. 31, 1994. Her parents were Hugo and Me-Tu, who have since died. Rose-Tu had a twin that died shortly after birth. In the herd, Rose-Tu and Chendra are close in age and share a strong friendship. Rose-Tu has her father’s personality. Highly intelligent and playful, she is always looking to tease her herd-mates and keepers. Weighing about 7,000 pounds, she is the second-smallest elephant in the herd, after Chendra.
Chendrawasih
Chendrawasih — Chendra for short — means “bird of paradise” in Malay. Chendra arrived at the Oregon Zoo on Nov. 20, 1999, from Malaysia, where she was born in 1993. Wildlife officials had found her — orphaned, alone and hungry — near a palm-oil plantation on the island of Borneo. She had wounds on her front legs and left eye, which ultimately left her blind in that eye. Because of the injuries and her age, Chendra was a poor candidate for relocation and release back into the wild. It was clear she would always be dependent on humans for her survival. Oregon Zoo officials traveled to Malaysia and accompanied Chendra on her journey to her new home in Portland. Since her arrival, Chendra has benefited greatly from being a member of the zoo herd. Elephants are very social animals and Chendra has formed strong bonds with the other females, especially Rose-Tu, who is close to her in age. Chendra is the smallest elephant at the zoo, weighing “only” around 3,500 pounds.
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