The two male Lord Darby's giant elands that came to the Zoo in 1991 were the first of this species in the collection. They were part of a collaborative program that included the Cincinnati Zoo, Los Angeles Zoo, International Animal Exchange, White Oak Conservation Center, and the Zoological Society of San Diego to create assurance groups of these threatened antelope outside of Africa. The males were soon joined by females, and by 1998, the Zoological Society had 11 giant eland, 1 male and 4 females at the Zoo and 4 males and 2 females at the Wild Animal Park.