Feb. 27, 2006 -- Janice Carpio, KFOX News at Nine

"In the wild, you don't see elephants rocking back and forth, standing in place swaying, no you don't see that," says Marilie Sage, co-founder of Concerned Citizens for El Paso.

As KFOX reported, concerned citizens for Juno and Savannah say this is the reason they're against the elephants staying in El Paso. They blame the lack of space for their unusual behavior. One of the plans the city has in mind is to break down a barrier that divides the elephants' exhibit to their walking space right next door, an area usually only used for exercise.

"The main yard is about seven-tenths of an acre, the other yard is about two-tenths of an acre, so when they have access to both yards, they'll still be standing on less than an acre," says Sage.

The plans may still fall below the group's standards, but the city says there are noticeable improvements. The zoo captured Savannah playing in a sand mound, one of the new features added to their space.

"They've instituted a mud wallow, feeders, a lot of different activities to help the elephants, their cognitive skills enrichment activities," said city spokeswoman Juliet Lozano.

Both animals have suffered from alleged captivity-induced injuries, but this latest report claims the animals are in good health.

"Their health is very good. We're very happy ... like I said we are seeing very good results in regards to activities strengthening their muscular growth," Lozano says.

There are two elephant habitat options. Option one has four phases which would expand the space for the elephants within their own zoo. The estimated cost for that project is $2,546,880. The second option is building a new facility at Washington Park, with an estimated cost of $14 to $18 million.