SPARKS, Nev. - Angel, the last performing elephant at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks, is packing her trunk and going to Texas.
The 11-year-old pachyderm will take up residence at the Fort Worth Zoo, which is nationally recognized for its Asian elephant breeding program.
Nugget officials are sad to see her go, but said the move is best for Angel, who has been alone since her lifelong companion, Bertha, died Nov. 10 at age 48.
At the Fort Worth Zoo, Angel will be with other elephants and hopefully breed.
''She'll do well with the elephants there,'' said Stephen Ascuaga, Nugget senior vice president. ''She's just entering her breeding years. One of the major reasons we're sending her there is she'll be able to experience having a baby.''
Angel will travel to Texas in a climate-controlled truck designed specially for elephants.
Her departure marks the end of an era at the Nugget, where an elephant has performed in the Celebrity Showroom since 1962 when John Ascuaga purchased Bertha from a circus museum in Wisconsin.
Angel came to the Nugget 10 years ago from Busch Gardens in Tampa, Fla.