The National Elephant Center of two females and two males arrived from Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Completion of the initial plan is likely to take up to 10 years. The National Elephant Center is located on in Fellsmere, Florida. The Elephant Center will feature on-site housing for staff and two barns for Asian and African elephants, each capable of supporting nine animals. The design calls for barns to be connected by a central hub, surrounded by a habitat that can be subdivided depending on the needs of the elephants. The largest area of the Elephant Center is the Central Elephant Meander, a area
The National Elephant Center will become the center for AZA elephant population management and envisions itself as a world leader in elephant conservation, scientific research and care for elephant populations in zoos and in the wild. In 2004 the idea of creating a national center for elephants came as the result of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums Elephant Management Strategic Planning Meeting involving thought leaders and members of the Elephant Taxon Advisory Group/Species Survival Plan (TAG/SSP). For many years, curators, keepers, veterinarians and others associated with elephants at Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) institutions wanted a facility to provide short- and long-term