Trunk Space

Three years ago, Moshi, Martika and Jo left their cramped home of dirt and stone to stay in Columbus. They returned in 2010 to comfier digs, but this month the elephants and their two new roommates, Shenga and Willy, will finally get to enjoy all the amenities of their new 5-acre, $25 million dream habitat. African Elephant Crossing has two pools, a waterfall, two mammoth front yards to roam and a heated backyard. Plus, the elephants have eight humans to feed them and clean up after them. The zoo's newest attraction, which opens to the public May 5, is set to be the first and only large-scale, LEED-certified animal enclosure, allowing the world's largest land mammals to leave a pygmy-size carbon footprint. Here's a map so you can find your way around.

1 Savannah Range: "They will look in a lot of places like truly wild elephants," general curator Geoff Hall says in regard to the open views. A buried salt lick and giant rock to rub their hide against let the elephants act like their wild brethren, too.

2 Aviary: Check out what the Taveta golden weaver and several other bird species that live here can do with palm fronds. "We chose community nesters because they are more interesting to watch," says educational curator Vicki Searles.

3 Night Range: "It's a gigantic sandbox," Hall says of the elephants' private backyard. The elephants can come and go as they please and push the sand around however they want. Radiant heat sources ensure they can play on the dunes all winter.

4 The Sydell L. Miller Elephant Care & Visitor Center: Animal keeper Meghan Sharp says the seven spacious pens provide room to work with the animals. Meet-the-keeper programs will allow visitors to see the daily care the zoo's elephants receive.

5 The African Village: African elephants are endangered, and there are "certain areas [in the world] where they conflict with humans," says zoo director Steve Taylor. The kgtola, a Botswana meeting place, teaches how humans and elephants can coexist.

6 Crossing Gate: "Separation between the animals and the guests just doesn't feel right," says architect Jón Steffánsson of CLR Design, the Philadelphia firm that designed the habitat. So, humans and elephants take turns sharing this crossroads.

7 Mopani Range: This mix of mud pits and trees offers the elephants a place to get some shade and a welcome change of scenery. "These are very intelligent animals, so the more variety we can give them, the better off they'll be," explains Taylor.