News and Stories

The gardens of Elephant Trek transport visitors to Asia

CINCINNATI, OH (September 24, 2024) – Many will visit The Harry and Linda Fath Elephant Trek at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, which opens one week from today, to see elephants, but there is so much more to take in, including about two dozen varieties of elephant ear plants!  The Zoo’s horticulture team has designed and planted one of the most unique gardens in the Midwest. The beauty begins as visitors enter Elephant Trek through the Komminsk Family Asian Waterfall Garden and continues throughout.

“The idea was to create a forested habitat that followed the streams to the open grasslands where the elephants would be grazing by the watering hole,” said Cincinnati Zoo’s director of horticulture Steve Foltz.  “As you enter the space you feel a heavy presence of tropical plants including large elephant ears, tropical bananas and Chinese Fan Palms which are native to Southeast Asia. Mixed in with the tropical plants are hardy plants that look as if they are tropical.”

Trees that look tropical but are native to the Cincinnati area are a critical part of the design plan. Teak trees are hardwoods native to Southeastern Asia and grow where the elephants roam. Catalpa look very similar to Teak trees and were used in Elephant Trek to resemble the natural habitat of the Asian Elephants.

“While this seems like a new idea, it’s worth noting that the same thing was done over 100 years ago by Cincinnati Zoo director Sol Stephan.  Those Catalpa still reside at the Zoo near the current elephant house across from swan lake,” said Foltz.

Other native trees like Paw Paw and Bigleaf Magnolia resemble Asian counterparts but are locally and regionally native. Seeds from these trees were collected over 3 years ago and grown at the Zoo’s offsite facility, Bowyer Farm.

“Lemongrass is a native of Southeast Asia that, while not hardy, is part of the elephant/people coexistence story,” said Foltz. “There are many herbs and plants that the elephants least prefer. The tea plant, Camellia sinensis, as well as many herbs we know from Southeast Asia like chilis, anise, and ginger are all plants you would find in the habitat of the Asian Elephant or in the fields of farmers who grow where elephants roam. It’s kind of like planting deer tolerant plants for us.”

Cincinnati Zoo supports the Tom Yum Project, a community-based conservation initiative in Thailand that addresses human-elephant conflict by supporting farmers to grow natural elephant deterrent crops found in the spicy Tom Yum soup. A team of Coexistence Champions from the Zoo, including individuals from the elephant and horticulture departments, is heading to Thailand later this fall to exchange ideas to promote coexistence.

Fun Facts and Stats:

• There are more than 2 dozen varieties of elephant ear plants in Elephant Trek
• There are 3 varieties of elephant ear funnel cakes that will be sold in Elephant Trek (cinnamon sugar, oreo, and cookies ‘n cream)
• 90% of the perennials used in Elephant Trek were grown at the Zoo’s own nurseries, saving the project thousands of dollars.
• Over 5,000 cubic yards of soil mix (1/3 compost, 1/3 topsoil, 1/3 sand) was used
• The landscape includes 1,000 bamboo plants of 6 different species.
• Hundreds of trees, ranging from small 10’ trees to 30’ elm trees, were planted in Elephant Trek
• There are over 100 vines including a mix of hardy natives and tropical vines

Elephant Trek opens to the public on October 1.  Members are invited to preview the habitat on September 27 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and September 28^th and 29^th from 9 a.m – 5 p.m. There is no extra fee to enter Elephant Trek, and members can visit as often as they like. The Zoo is open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Members enjoy early entry starting at 9 a.m.

DID YOU KNOW…. You pay more than $10 less per ticket, on select days, when you purchase tickets online! That’s a $40 savings for a family of 4!