Ruby will soon call sanctuary her new home

Ruby, the female African elephant that the Los Angeles Zoo announced in March would retire to a sanctuary, is expected to travel to her new home next week.

According to Pat Derby, co-founder and co-director of PAWS sanctuary -- a collection of animal preserves in Northern California -- Ruby will make the 350-mile journey to San Andreas on Tuesday.

There, Ruby, who has been kept alone at the zoo since the death of its female Asian elephant, Gita, last summer, will join Mara, Lulu and “71” -- the three other female African elephants who make their home on a 75-acre preserve. (Derby keeps five Asian elephants on a parcel across the road from the Africans.)

An animal hauler will drive Ruby in a truck that can accommodate the 46-year-old, 9,000-pound pachyderm. Derby estimates the drive will take about eight hours.

Ruby will begin her stay in a large barn and be able to move into a couple of large yards, including one of 10 acres, before she is introduced to the other female Africans.

“She’s going to have visual contact and she’ll be allowed to touch them,” Derby said, “but it will be behind a barrier so she can retreat if she feels threatened or doesn’t want to be with them yet.

“Elephants, particularly Africans, are tricky to get introduced and socialized,” added Derby, who is expecting Ruby to arrive with a veritable entourage of L.A. Zoo staff.

“I can’t say enough about the cooperation between our two facilities,” Derby said. “The keepers will stay with her for two or three days.”

Zoo Director John Lewis would not comment on the exact date of Ruby’s move.

“My understanding is she is moving in the middle of May,” said Tom Mankiewicz, chairman of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn., the facility’s fundraising arm. “We’ve been waiting for that special rig.”

Lewis said in March that the zoo would pay the $20,000 cost of transporting Ruby. Meanwhile, animal welfare advocate Catherine Doyle has conducted a private fundraising campaign to pay for Ruby’s care at the sanctuary. Doyle said Monday she had raised more than $130,000. TV game show host Bob Barker has pledged to match donations dollar for dollar, up to $300,000. Derby said she had received about $60,000 in contributions.

carla.hall@latimes.com