The Vanishing Giants exhibit was a wonderful attraction from 2000 to 2007. It closed for the plans of Giraffe Ridge and a renovated Vine Street Village. It exhibited this giraffe where the Skyline and is today along with okapis (the exhibit can still be seen), and the zoo's elephants. It was turned into Elephant Reserve where a bull elephant yard was added for breeding. The male in the photo was moved to The Wilds while the zoo got 3 males Pekua, Mtembei, Kimba, and 2 females Tessa, Akillah for the opening of Giraffe Ridge in 2008. Only Kimba and Tessa remain while Pekua and Mtembei were transferred and Akillah died of cardiac arrest in November 2010. The okapi at the time, Lisala Li, was moved to Rhino Reserve where she gave birth to Kuvua. Kuvua still lives at Rhino Reserve in her newly furbished yard along with her mate Kiloro. It's a shame about the name change, Vanishing Giants still would have been perfect.
From my review
Elephant Reserve
The exhibit Elephant Reserve, opened in 2008, which is home to the zoo's four endangered elephants. Nearly 3.5 acres is made up of two habitats on each side of the area while between them is the historic Elephant House. The Elephant House was built in 1906 and is currently the largest complete concrete animal building in North America. The building is overall 150 ft long, 75 ft wide, and 75 ft tall. It is fully shaped to give an Indian style appearance, portraying some features of the Taj Mahal. In 1975 the Elephant House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places list. During the winter season, while the elephants must remain indoors, guests may enter the Elephant House to get within only a few feet of two of the zoo's elephants. Only one elephant has been born at the zoo, Ganesh, a male born on March 15, 1998 that was later transferred to Columbus, where he passed away in 2005. Ganesh was Ohio's first elephant to be both conceived and born. The Cincinnati Zoo was the first institution to not contain elephants with tall metal bars but to use rock walls for a more natural setting.
