detroitdoesntsuckthatbad: According to the zoo director who is holding a press conference as I'm typing - it's very standard to have animals owned by other companies but are housed in the zoo. They have many animals owned by other organizations but are permanently housed in the Oregon zoo. Looks like a non-issue, huzzah.

This.

The SSP (Species Survival Plan) can only work if the genes aren't bottle-necking- you don't want inbred elephants. Studbooks are kept and once it is decided that a population needs new genes, a breeder male will be located and brought in. Part of the agreement between the "home facility" (for lack of better term) and the breeder is that the breeder will get some of the offspring. Those offspring might never end up leaving the "home facility" or they might years and years later down the road.

It happens at every zoo. Many times the breeder will be from another zoo... but just as often, the breeder will come from a private owner. You would be amazed at how many private facilities with exotic animals that there are out there.

Better it be this way than procuring animals from the wild though.
SeaWorld is trying to import wild-caught belugas from Russia

"The Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which manages North America's captive elephant populations, would have to approve returning any calf to Have Trunk."

Oregon Live's take on it

I have a hunch, that despite the sensationalist headline but Submittard, the calf will stay at the zoo.

Also owned by a travelling entertainment company