Zoo Elephants: Meet Tembo
Posted at 4:08 pm September 22, 2006 by Ron Ringer
The San Diego Zoo has committed to build a new state-of-the-art elephant exhibit, tentatively titled, “American Elephant.” This exhibit is meant to bring together the past, present, and future with information about extinct animals that once roamed our area in the Pleistocene era as well as elephants of today. For this reason, I thought it might be a good time to introduce everyone to the Zoo’s elephants. This week I would like to introduce you to Tembo.
Tembo is a 35-year-old African elephant that has been at the Zoo for 25 years. She stands almost 9 feet (2.7 meters) at the shoulder and weighs in at about 9,175 pounds (4,162 kilograms). Tembo is easy to pick out from the other elephants because she is our only African elephant. She has large tusks, big ears, and is usually the one that is eating. Eating is definitely her favorite pastime! This is also why it is so easy to train her for new behaviors. Tembo is a very vocal elephant and she can be heard throughout the day trumpeting or rumbling at the other elephants or her keepers.
Tembo’s claim to fame is that she was the star of the 1970s televison show, Born Free. Of course, she played the elephant! She was born in Uganda in 1971 and was orphaned because of poachers. The film crew asked the government if they could use her in the show and they said yes. Her trainer fell in love with her and asked if she could bring Tembo back to the States. Tembo spent the next several years working in Hollywood. Her trainer lived in Thousand Oak, California. Unfortunately, Tembo became a good escape artist and would use her neighbors’ yards as a large buffet. This didn’t settle well with the community, so her trainer donated Tembo to the Zoo.
Tembo is also one of our most accomplished artists. She works with acrylic paints and canvas. She holds her brush and the keeper holds the canvas and she creates. Sometimes the keeper becomes part of the creation, as we get painted too! Recently, at one of our fund-raising events, one of her paintings went for $1,000. (Tembo is pictured above with keeper Victoria Zahn and her latest artwork.)
Tembo can be seen on occasions painting out in her exhibit. Stop by sometime and see her.
Ron Ringer is a senior mammal keeper at the San Diego Zoo.
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September 23rd, 2006 at 2:55 pm
will tembo ever live at elephant mesa with the other elephants? has tembo ever had a calf?
Editor’s note: Tembo lives at the Zoo’s Elephant Mesa with two Asian elephants. She has not had a calf.
September 23rd, 2006 at 3:20 pm
Ron, thanks so very much for the information about Tembo. It’s always such a pleasure to see her and her Asian “sisters” out in the field and, occasionally, have the chance to talk with you and the other keepers. I didn’t know she was a TV celebrity, as well as an accomplished artist. Wow! From what I’ve heard about the new “American Elephant” exhibit, it should be quite wonderful. Something to look forward to. And I’m looking forward also to your blogs about Devi and “Smitty.”
September 24th, 2006 at 7:14 am
I was watching the video of the elephants with the snow and it appears that the African and the Asian elephants are together. I thought that you weren’t supposed to let the species mix because of the herpes-type virus that can be given from one species to the other.
September 25th, 2006 at 6:49 am
Tembo looks very proud of her painting. She appears to really enjoy it. We have a painting pig in Virginia, Smithfield, who also has become famous for his paintings and the funds they bring in for animal welfare. He recently got a malignant tumor on his snout, not caused by painting, that has been cured thanks to the funds raised by his paintings.
Ditto Shari #3 question. Since Tembo is the only African elephant it is understandable that she is kept with two Asians. How do you keep her away from the new baby girl?
Is there much potential for you to acquire any African elephants to start a breeding herd, and to have Tembo have company with her fellow Africans without the fear of the “killer” virus?
Editor’s note: Tembo lives at the San Diego Zoo; the new baby elephant lives at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park with the African elephant herd.
September 25th, 2006 at 6:53 am
Is there any plan to move any from the Wild Animal Park herd to SDZ Elephant mesa, or Tembo to the WAP?
September 25th, 2006 at 7:31 am
Hi, Ron! Thanks for the telling us about Tembo. Living on the East Coast and having never been to the zoo, I though the only elephants you have are the ones featured on the Elephant Cam page. Speaking of which, did I miss something? You mentioned that Tembo is the only African elephant you have - aren’t the elephants that the SDZ saved in 2003 African elephants?!?! Is there a video of Tembo painting? That would really be something to see. The editor mentioned above that she’s never had a calf - is she too old now or is it still possible? Please give her a little pat on the trunk for me and thanks again for the wonderful information on this sweetie!!!!!
Editor’s note: Tembo is the only African elephant at the San Diego Zoo. There is a herd of African elephants, including the newest calf, at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, located 35 miles north of the Zoo.
September 25th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Not sure if you have a name for the new baby elephant but since she was born on September 11, 2006 it would be nice to name her “Freedom”; it’s not African but Red, White and Blue American. Although 9/11 will always be remembered for the thousands of lives lost and the tragedy…there is some good happening on this day and the baby was one of those happy times.
September 25th, 2006 at 10:52 am
Dear Editor:
Thanks for clearing up the African elephant thing for me. I know there’s a Zoo and a Wild Animal Park, but I thought they were in the same vicinity and connected or intertwined somehow. Is there a particular reason why Tembo isn’t with the other African elephants at the Wild Animal Park? Would they not accept her? Thanks again.
September 25th, 2006 at 11:51 am
I like Elizabeth’s (#7) idea of naming our new baby girl Freedom, but how about using the Swahili term for it, or one of the other many African languages? Since her mother and the other members of the group were saved from certain death, the name would surely be appropriate, not only for us but for them as well!
September 26th, 2006 at 9:38 pm
Hi Shari,
That is an excellent question. The main reason that we keep the two species together is because they have been together for over 20 years. Back then it was not uncommon to mix the two elephants. Of course, that was before we knew of the herpes virus. Nowadays we would not mix the species for that very reason.
September 27th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
Ron, thanks for clearing that up. It would seem cruel to separate them now. Besides, isn’t it likely that if they were going to spread the herpes virus from the African to the Asians it would have happened before now?
October 2nd, 2006 at 5:00 pm
Hi Margaret
The problem with the virus is that it will lay dormaint for a lifetime. It usually doesn’t show up unless there is another health problem or something very stressful. Nowadays we can treat the virus if it is caught in time.
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:06 pm
Thanks Ron! I am especially happy to know that the virus is treatable. Ever since I read about the loss of the female calf at the NZ, I have been sad to think how risky it is for Africans and Asians to be together.
October 24th, 2006 at 2:55 am
Hi, I was just wondering if her artwork is ever for sale? I would love to buy a piece for my mother’s birthday.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:23 pm
Hey! I’m with Summer. You guys are missing a great opportunity to raise money selling prints of Tembo’s artwork. I’d certainly buy every copy you’d make available.
August 31st, 2007 at 8:42 am
Tembo, along with her Asian girlfriends are pretty solitary. What if we make Elephant Mesa larger and make a small herd with both Asian and African elephants? After all, Elephant Mesa has no boy elephants.
November 19th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
hey i totally luv the elephants and i think they are just soooo cute…i wanna be a zookeeper after highschool so i really like to see all the stuff the zoo puts up about the elephants.hope to read more soon give Tembo a kiss and a hug for me ok…xoxoxo=)
oh and i can twait to see her the next time i go to the zoo i luv my zoo pass!