Toronto Zoo’s board voted in May 2011 to close its elephant exhibit and relocate the remaining animals, a decision that sparked a year‑long debate over whether a large city zoo could provide adequate space and care for the aging elephants. The motion was later adopted by Toronto City Council on October 24 and 25, 2011, directing the zoo to arrange a transfer to a suitable facility outside the city.
Bob Barker, the former “Price Is Right” host, became the campaign’s high‑profile champion after the city council’s initial approval. In late 2012, after the sanctuary’s suitability was reassessed, Barker agreed to cover the estimated $1 million cost of transporting the elephants, pledging the money to ensure the animals’ safety and wellbeing during the long trip.
The elephants—Iringa, born in Mozambique in 1969; Toka, 1970; and Thika, the first African elephant born in Canada in 1980—left Toronto on October 18, 2013, and arrived at PAWS ARK 2000 in San Andreas on October 20, 2013. The four‑day journey involved a custom steel crate, daily veterinary checks, and a convoy of trucks that kept the animals fed and hydrated.
Barker, 89 at the time, watched the trio disembark and publicly declared, “I had a lump in my throat… I have no regrets about the money spent.” The Toronto Zoo confirmed the elephants had arrived calm and healthy, noting that the transport team had maintained routine feeding schedules and monitored stress indicators throughout.
PAWS officials say the elephants will now live under the sanctuary’s 100‑acre, semi‑natural habitat, designed to mimic the wide spaces they once had in the wild. The move marks the first time a Canadian zoo has transferred its elephants to an international sanctuary, setting a precedent that may influence future wildlife‑care policies.