10/13/2026
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Says Goodbye to a Commanding and Gentle Presence, Kimba, African Elephant
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is reflecting on the legendary life of a four-decade resident – Kimba, a 48-year-old African elephant.
In the past, Kimba had occasionally dealt with lethargy and decreased appetite at times, and with support, she bounced back and lived well. She recently started having more off days, exhibiting the same symptoms as before. Despite receiving dedicated care and treatments that helped previously, this time Kimba did not recover to the quality of health she deserved. Kimba’s care team made the emotionally difficult and compassionate decision to humanely euthanize her, surrounded by her trusted care team, on Mon., Oct. 12.
At nearly 49 years old, Kimba was considered geriatric for an African elephant. She was the second oldest in CMZoo’s herd of aging female African elephants, and her care team remained dedicated to supporting her health and well-being throughout her senior years.
Kimba came to CMZoo in 1981, at three years old, with her lifelong bestie, Lucky, who is now 46 years old and living at CMZoo. Kimba and Lucky lived through incredible progress in elephant care in the zoo profession. Over her 45 years at CMZoo, Kimba played a big role in developing the elephant care program. Kimba thrived as her care evolved.
“Kimba was the first elephant I trained in a shared space, back when sharing space was the standard practice,” Ilana Cobban, elephant care manager at CMZoo, says. “She weighed 11,000 pounds at the time, and I was all of five-feet-and-five-inches tall. She was just massive, and she taught me so much about elephant behavior and how to work with them as individuals. Before I got to CMZoo, I was taught that you needed to be loud and assertive with elephants, and I learned that’s not true. Kimba wanted you to be gentle and patient, to talk to her quietly, and I just loved that. She was this huge animal who wanted your kindness, and I loved being able to prove, through working with her, that we didn’t need to be loud – we needed to listen. Almost 25 years later, a lot has changed in the way we care for elephants, but we didn’t change that gentle, listening approach that Kimba taught us. We embraced it.”
Weighing five-and-a-half tons, Kimba was a dominant elephant. She often approached food or training opportunities first, ahead of her longtime herd mate, Lucky. She would even step in front of Lucky when she saw keepers preparing for a cooperative husbandry training session, like she was telling Lucky, “me first.”
Kimba was also confident in reminding other animals of her massive presence if they came too close to her yard or fenceline.
“She would toss sand at wild deer approaching the fenceline, or pigeons that landed in her yard,” Ilana says. “She wouldn’t charge at them. She knew she was big enough to make her message clear. She would just stand facing them with her ears out and throw sand in their direction, like, ‘you’re not supposed to be here; this is my yard.’”
As confident as she was, Kimba could also be hesitant. She didn’t want to share space with elephants, except for Lucky, and although Kimba was the dominant elephant in their pair, she relied on Lucky. Kimba could be skeptical of new spaces and new experiences. She would rely on Lucky’s curious nature to try them first, and when she saw Lucky was enjoying the new thing, she stepped in to try it.
“She was unsure around other elephants and people, and she didn’t seek people out or immediately trust anyone,” Ilana says. “You needed to get to know her, be patient, and prove to her that you understood what she needed to thrive. It took years for some keepers to earn enough trust to train with her. She made you work for it, and when she showed you she trusted you, it was a huge honor.”
Ilana earned Kimba’s trust, and the two worked together for more than 24 years. Kimba learned to participate in voluntary blood draws, have her eyes examined, get foot x-rays and foot care treatments, swallow oral medications, and receive voluntary injections that helped her tremendously as she aged. She also learned that Ilana could lead her to new places that might feel scary at first, but that she could trust something good was going to happen.
“It was so fulfilling to be that person for her,” Ilana says. “I remember leading her into our vacation yard for the first time with Lucky. They had never seen anything like that, so it was super cool to see them walk through the gate, looking ahead at the yard and understanding that if she could be brave and get through this unfamiliar gate, that big field was all hers. I loved watching them pulling up grass and knocking down trees and enjoying that great big space together.”
Kimba’s commanding presence and gentleness have impacted the way all keepers care for their animals at CMZoo – with patience and by paying attention to what that individual animal needs to thrive. That legacy will live on in every cooperative training session and care program throughout the Zoo. Ilana trusts that Kimba’s multifaceted approach to life is further evidence that all elephants are the same in some ways, but so incredibly different as individual beings.
“People know that elephants are smart and have strong bonds, but they sometimes miss that elephants are all individuals,” Ilana says. “Yes, they are all intelligent, and they have social bonds, but they’re also all unique and need to be treated as such. Kimba was a perfect example of that.”
Kimba’s herdmates were given access to her shortly after her passing to help them process the loss. The elephant care team will monitor Lucky especially closely, along with the entire herd. When Lucky shows the team she’s ready, they will offer her social opportunities with other members of the herd.
More than 13 years ago, the Zoo made a conscious decision to develop the specialized staff, housing, and expertise needed to provide exceptional care for aging female elephants. We built what could be called a retirement community for these “Golden Girls,” allowing them to flourish in their remaining years. With that decision, we knew we would have difficult days ahead as we provide end-of-life care for these magnificent animals.
Kimba spent her Last Best Day on Sunday doing her favorite things. She and Lucky enjoyed hours together in the vacation yard, soaking up the sunshine and grazing on grass. Kimba was surrounded by her devoted animal care team, including several keepers who had cared for her for more than 20 years. Though her absence will be deeply felt, the lessons she shared with us over the years will remain an important part of her legacy.
