Spike the elephant leaves Calgary Zoo in special crate for new home in Florida

CALGARY – Spike the elephant is on his way from the Calgary Zoo to his new home in Florida.

Animal handlers carefully loaded the 31-year-old Asian pachyderm into a special transport crate Tuesday for the trip by truck to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay.

The crate is temperature-controlled and has a close-circuit camera inside.

Spike is being accompanied on the four-day road trip by a team of elephant experts, including a veterinarian.

The elephant had been on an extended loan from the Miami Zoo after it was hit by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The Calgary Zoo say Spike is being moved to benefit from a warmer climate and to be with a larger herd of elephants, including breeding-age females.

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