Stomp the Yard

It wasn’t exactly a GOP stampede at the Asian Elephant Preserve but it was awfully close on Nov. 22, as a quintet of elephants checked out the new surroundings of their spacious yard next to the Rifken Family Pachyderm Pavilion at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. While old bull Indy and queen Siri stayed behind at the pavilion, the fab femme four of Targa, Romani, Kirina and Mali plus new kid on the block Little Chuck lumbered about the premises, with flapping ears and trunk trumpeting that suggested the gang really liked the homey digs. Zoo director Ted Fox said the gang made an easy transition to the new preserve while the old elephant house near the main entrance will still be in use, especially next summer. Fox also admitted that 3-year-old Chuck “can be a little vocal, and gets everybody worked up,” and there’s a chance that Targa and Indy can rekindle a romance. So if the Pachyderm Pavilion is a-rockin’, don’t come a-knockin’.