A few years ago, conservation leaders from around the world gathered to kick off a conversation that required no single language. Among them were local government officials, zoo leaders, scientists, and conservation experts—each united by one urgent question: How do we ensure that Asian elephants remain a part of our world’s future?
Among them sat Adam Felts, Vice President of Animal Care at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Adam has made this journey before—to India, Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, and beyond. But each time, he returns with a deeper understanding of what conservation truly requires.
“It’s not about swooping in with answers,” Adam said. “It’s about bringing people together—especially those who live alongside elephants every day—and creating space for shared learning. Real conservation starts with relationships, and that means listening, showing up, and staying engaged.”
A Global Mission, Anchored in Ohio
These conversations are not isolated efforts. They are part of a larger, coordinated movement led by the Center for Species Survival: Asian Elephant (CSS: Asian Elephant)—a pioneering initiative created in partnership between the Columbus Zoo, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), and the Wildlife Trust of India.
Located in India, the Center for Species Survival for Asian Elephants (CSS Asian Elephant) is the first and only CSS in the world dedicated exclusively to Asian elephants—and the first to be based in an elephant range country. That distinction is symbolic and strategic. It means the Columbus Zoo is not only participating in elephant conservation; it is helping to shape its global direction.
“Conservation isn’t linear—it’s a constant exchange of knowledge, respect, and lived experience,” said Adam. “CSS Asian Elephant stands out because it’s rooted in the countries where Asian elephants live. We’re learning directly from the people and communities who know these landscapes best, and our role is to support, amplify, and help connect their efforts to the broader conservation community.”
With between 40,000-50,000 Asian elephants remaining in their native ranges, and populations declining due to habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, poaching, and disease, the stakes have never been higher. Through CSS Asian Elephant, the Columbus Zoo is:
- Facilitate capacity building to support communities, with long term commitments on priority topics, ranging from census techniques to human-elephant coexistence solutions.
- Facilitating workshops that bring together governments, nonprofits, and field partners to collaborate on conservation solutions that respect cultural contexts and community needs
- Establishing an emergency response fund to support real-time conflict mitigation efforts when elephants and humans come into dangerous proximity
This work is deeply interconnected. Field-based learning informs local practice. Local insights influence global policy. And through it all, the Columbus Zoo acts as both a bridge and a beacon—connecting people across oceans in pursuit of one powerful goal.
A Calf Is Born, and So Is Hope
Back home in Ohio, in a carefully-monitored behind-the-scenes habitat in the Columbus Zoo’s Asia Quest region, another chapter in this story quietly began to unfold.
After over two years of pregnancy—22 months, to be exact—Asian elephant Sunny gave birth to her first calf on July 23, 2025, with the Animal Care team and Conservation Medicine team by her side every step of the way. It was a moment of cautious joy. For first-time elephant moms, delivery can be complex, and her care team had been preparing for months. They trained with her, monitored her health, tracked behavioral cues, and ensured that support was ready the moment labor began.
When the calf finally arrived—healthy, strong, and already taking her wobbly first steps—there was a collective exhale of relief and celebration. And for Adam and his colleagues, the calf’s arrival felt like both a miracle and a milestone.
“This calf is living proof of what intentional, collaborative conservation can achieve,” Adam said. “Our goal is long-term survival for the species. That takes healthy herds, sound genetics, and communities that care—both here and in their native ranges.”
This birth, as well as the second birth planned for the fall of 2025 (elephant Phoebe is also pregnant!), was part of a collaborative effort under the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP)— a program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to support healthy, genetically diverse populations of threatened and endangered species in professional care.
It’s science and strategy. And it reflects how zoos, like the Columbus Zoo, play a critical role in ensuring elephants remain a vital, visible part of our shared future.
The calf’s arrival marks the beginning of a new generation of awareness. While she’s not yet on view to the public—giving her and mom time to settle in—those who do eventually see her will connect with elephants in a way that facts and figures alone can’t replicate. Children will remember the first time they locked eyes with her. Adults will walk away with more knowledge and, hopefully, a deeper desire to make a difference.
And for Sunny? She’ll have the guidance of experienced mom Phoebe, support from other members of her herd, a top-tier care team, and a newly-expanded habitat designed to support socialization, enrichment, and guest connection.
A Moment for Reflection—and Action
August is Asian Elephant Awareness Month. It’s a time to spotlight a species that has long inspired awe and admiration and continues to be in desperate need of protection.
Asian elephants are the largest land mammals, highly intelligent and deeply social. They form lifelong bonds. And they play a vital role in the health of the ecosystems they roam.
But their numbers are dropping. Their forests are shrinking. Their futures are uncertain.
That’s why the Columbus Zoo’s work—and yours—matters more than ever.
With your support, programs like CSS Asian Elephant can continue to grow. Your support can fund more field research, train more rangers, and build more bridges between people and wildlife. It can empower the very communities that live with elephants to become the species’ most passionate protectors.
And it can inspire the next generation to care—deeply, actively, and boldly.
“Every time I travel to a new elephant range country, I meet people who care as deeply about elephants as we do here in Ohio,” said Adam. “They’re people who live this reality every day. The future of Asian elephants depends on them, and on all of us working together, across borders and backgrounds, to make conservation personal. That’s what this month is really about.”
Be Part of the Legacy: Attend Untamed
On September 19, 2025, the Columbus Zoo will host Untamed, a one-night-only celebration of conservation and community. It’s an evening designed to connect purpose with elegance—bringing together philanthropists, business leaders, and wildlife advocates to support the projects that shape our planet’s future.
Proceeds from Untamed will directly benefit conservation programs like the CSS Asian Elephant. Every conversation, every sponsorship, and every moment of that evening will help ensure that elephants have a future worth trumpeting for.
If you were moved by this story, let that feeling turn into action.
Conservation starts with small choices that add up to lasting impact.
Support Untamed. Support the future of elephants.
