Meet Our Recent Arrivals!
  • Irvin (born Jun. 2005)
  • Aree (born Apr. 2005)
  • P.T. (born May 2002)
  • Asha (born Mar. 2002)
  • Rudy (born Jan. 2002)
  • Gunther (born Nov. 2001)
  • Sara (born Apr. 2001)

    • Read "Elephants Without Borders," a white paper on the state of the Asian elephant in the world today. (PDF format)

    Elephant Rescue
    in Sumatra: A Diary


    January 31, 2002: Thirteen is a very lucky number at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Center for Elephant Conservation! We are thrilled to announce the birth of a 280-pound, healthy female Asian elephant calf, our thirteenth in a ten-year breeding program. The 33-year-old mother, Sally, delivered the calf, named Rudy, at the CEC at 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29. Rudy is the first Asian elephant baby born in the United States in the new year, and an unprecedented third for the CEC since April 2001.

    Rudy is named after former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who is a hero to Americans and was recently named TIME Magazine's Man of the Year. In his eight years as Mayor, Giuliani walked through the Queens/Midtown Tunnel with the Ringling Bros. elephants, helped settle them in their temporary home at Madison Square Garden and gave the keys to the city to Chairman and Producer of Ringling Bros., Kenneth Feld. He was also named Honorary Ringmaster for Life in 2000. Now, Feld has chosen to honor Giuliani with a precious namesake for all his years of running away with the circus every spring.

    CLICK LINKS BELOW TO VIEW VIDEO
    Trunk to trunk with mom, and getting some walking practice. (60 sec.)
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    Snack time! (60 sec.)
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    The tale of the tape. (60 sec.)
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    Rudy's first checkup -- everything looks great! (60 sec.)
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    Feld said, "We are very excited by the birth of Rudy, and we welcome her to the Ringling Bros. family. It's an incredible feeling to know that we are helping to save the species and pushing back extinction one baby elephant at a time." He added, "Our elephants are very special to us, and we cherish each one that comes into our lives. We are proud to provide life-long care for these highly endangered animals. They are joining a herd of close to 70 Asian elephants, the largest gene pool outside of southeast Asia."

    Ringling Bros. commits substantial resources every year to each elephant in its herd to ensure proper care and nutrition, and this commitment is made for the life of the elephant. Asian elephants that live with Ringling Bros. can live past 60 years old, whereas their counterparts in Asia are struggling to survive. With only an estimated 35,000 - 50,000 Asian elephants remaining on earth today, each birth is a momentous occasion toward survival of the species.

    Rudy is Sally's fourth calf, and the little elephant joins Gunther and Sara who were born at the CEC in 2001. She will have several new playmates in 2002 since two more elephants are set to deliver their calves between April and June. With these births, the CEC continues its record of being one of the most successful Asian elephant conservation programs in the world.

    The Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation (CEC) was founded by Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, to keep Asian elephants alive for future generations. Built in 1995, this 200-acre, state-of-the-art facility was designed for the conservation, breeding, scientific study and retirement of the Asian elephant, enabling Ringling Bros. to share its knowledge with veterinary and scientific communities worldwide. Please explore the links at the top of this page to learn more about the CEC.

    ©2006 Feld Entertainment, Inc.