DENVER — A member of the Denver Zoo's bachelor elephant herd is moving on soon to another zoo.
"Good luck, Chuck!" the Denver Zoo wrote on Facebook. "Chuck, one of the beloved members of our Asian elephant bachelor herd, is embarking on a new journey to start his own family."
Chuck, who arrived at Denver Zoo with his half-brother Jake in 2018, will be transferred to the Houston Zoo. Guests can still see him at Elephant Passage through the first week of May. The zoo will also hold a "graduation ceremony" for Chuck at noon Thursday during its elephant demonstration.
Chuck's departure is a big milestone, as he's the first elephant to leave Denver Zoo's all-bull program since the opening of Elephant Passage in 2012.
His move is part of the Asian Elephant Species Survival Plan. At 15 years old, Chuck is old enough to become a father. As of last August, the Houston Zoo has 12 elephants, including a 58-year-old male and three adult females.
The Denver Zoo's bachelor herd consists of five young males and the leader of the herd, 54-year-old Groucho. The juvenile males – Bodhi, Billy, Jake, Chuck and Duncan – learn from Groucho what they need to know to be appropriate adult bulls, the zoo said.
RELATED: Say hello to Duncan the elephant
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