Opened in 2011, African Elephant Crossing was built on the foundation of the historic 1950s-era Pachyderm Building and elephant yard. This state-of-the-art, naturalistic exhibit covers five acres of lightly wooded African grassland. In addition to African elephants, it houses lively meerkats, naked mole rats, an African rock python, and a variety of African birds.

African Elephant Crossing was designed to allow the Zoo's elephants to roam between two large habitats - the Savanna and Mopani Ranges - often passing within 15 feet of Zoo visitors. Both areas offer a variety of exhibit amenities: large ranges where the elephants can forage, dig, bathe, swim, wallow in mud, explore, or just relax in the shade. Guests can see the ranges from multiple vantage points inside and outside the exhibit.

African Elephant Crossing includes the Sydell L. Miller Elephant Care & Visitor Center where guests can see the elephants receive their daily baths, enrichment, foot care, and exams. The exhibit also has numerous green features, making it one of the first large outdoor animal exhibits in the country to be built for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification in North America.