Sedgwick County Zoo’s oldest elephant, Stephanie, dies at 55
Incident Date:
10/08/2026
Location:
Wichita, KS - USA
Facility Name:
Sedgwick County Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Elephants
Animal:
Animal disposition:
Dead
Summary:
WICHITA, KS – The matriarch of the Sedgwick County Zoo’s African elephant herd died on Thursday.
Stephanie was 55 years old and had lived at the Sedgwick County Zoo since 1972, the zoo said. Her loss will be felt far outside of her habitat, as she was the third-oldest African elephant in North America.
The zoo said that Stephanie had been receiving specialized care to keep her comfortable and healthy in her senior years. This included shredding her food to help her eat when chewing became difficult and movement training to preserve her mobility.
Action take by Born Free USA:
Notes: