Moving elephants from Seattle zoo to Oklahoma costs big

SEATTLE — Moving two Asian elephants from Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo to San Diego to Oklahoma proved to be a huge expense.

The Seattle Times reported that the cost of moving Chai and Bamboo from San Diego to the Oklahoma City Zoo was $88,000. That’s in addition to the $106,000 bill for the first attempt to move the pair, which was waylaid by bad weather.

If the Oklahoma City Zoo does not pay a share of the costs, Woodland Park’s total expenditure will be $141,000.

The female elephants’ trip began in April after a federal appeals court declined to block the transfer. The move was opposed by animal rights activists and at least one member of the Seattle City Council.

A storm diverted the pachyderms to San Diego, where they had stayed for a few weeks.