Elephants at National Zoo to get $60m home

WASHINGTON -- The National Zoo has announced plans for a new $60 million ``Elephant Trails" exhibit that will dramatically expand and upgrade its current facility for Asian elephants and try to be a centerpiece for breeding and conservation efforts to stop the endangered species from becoming extinct.

Under the current design concept, the zoo's elephants would have at least four acres of outdoor and indoor space, including a central area in the Elephant House where the animals could socialize 24 hours a day instead of being kept in separate enclosures at night. The herd, which now lives on less than an acre, would grow from three elephants to eight to 10 adults and their offspring.