Oregon Zoo's elephants elbow out wolves

The Oregon Zoo is giving up its three gray wolves to make room for a bigger elephant exhibit.

KEVIN BROWN/Oregon ZooKenai is among the three gray wolves moving from the Oregon Zoo to Omaha.

The Oregon Zoo is giving up its three gray wolves to make room for a bigger elephant exhibit.

Cheyenne, Kenai Jr. and Yazhi are expected to move the week of Aug. 6 to Omaha, Neb., where they'll take up residence at the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari, part of the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.

They -- or other members of their species -- will eventually return. The zoo's 20-year master plan calls for renovation of the Great Northwest exhibit, and in its new iteration, that enclosure will offer flexible spaces that can be used alternately by black bears, cougars and gray wolves.

In the meantime, the zoo expects to feature educational information about wolves on signs.

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To learn more about Oregon's wolves, click here.