Distraught elephant to stay in Dallas

DALLAS, Aug. 21 (UPI) -- Dallas Zoo officials say they'll keep Jenny, a distraught African elephant, after their plan to move her to a Mexican park prompted an outcry.

The zoo had decided to move the elephant to African Safari Park in Puebla, Mexico, after she displayed signs of depression and panic attacks in the wake of the death of her mate in May but officials changed their minds after word of the plans leaked out, The New York Times reported Thursday.

"We believe we have found a solution that benefits Jenny as well as the Dallas community," Gregg Hudson, the zoo's executive director, said in a statement to reporters. In a compromise, Hudson said construction of a new 15-acre habitat for large African mammals would be stepped up and a second elephant would be acquired to give Jenny companionship, the Times said.

Opponents of the plan to move the 10,500-pound elephant said the Mexican park's closeness to car traffic would traumatize her, instead arguing that she should be sent to Tennessee sanctuary for traumatized circus and zoo elephants. But Dallas Zoo officials said the Tennessee facility wasn't sufficiently sanctioned, the Times said.