Last elephant leaves Brookfield Zoo

BROOKFIELD -- The Brookfield Zoo's lone remaining elephant has been returned to a park in California, but zoo officials say they still plan to bring elephants back to the Chicago suburban facility in the future.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday that Joyce, a 27-year-old female African elephant has been returned to her owner, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom near San Francisco.

Joyce had been alone at the zoo since last December, when Brookfield's only other remaining elephant, Christy, died of congenital kidney problems.

William Zeigler, an executive of the Chicago Zoological Society, noted that elephants are social animals and need companionship. Zeigler said it was in Joyce's best interest that she be sent to a facility that would provide her with the companionship of other elephants.