ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Herd Celebrate World Elephant Day

Posted By : The Animal Facts Editorial Team

Date: August 13, 2021 4:59 am

Members of the Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo explore a pinata prepared by keepers for World Elephant Day

Photo Credit: Amanda Carberry/ Columbus Zoo and Aquairum

The Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo have celebrated World Elephant Day held annually on August 12th. Keepers provided the herd with two giant pinatas filled with biodegradable confetti and their favorite treats to help celebrate.

Each of the meter tall pinatas were attached to a tall tree in their enclosure. In celebration of the zoo’s 90th birthday the pinatas were decorated with the number 90.

Members of the Asian elephant herd at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo explore a pinata prepared by keepers for World Elephant Day

Photo Credit: SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium

22 year old Karishma was the lucky elephant who pulled on the apple under the pinatas and released the confetti and snacks inside. The herd were delighted to get their trunks on the banana, elephant biscuits and even the pinata itself which was made from safe materials.

Zoological Manager of ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, Matthew Webb said: “World Elephant Day is a wonderful opportunity to remind everyone that these incredible, intelligent animals need our protection and support more than ever.”

“Our herd of Endangered Asian elephants always enjoy investigating new things, and it took Karishma no time at all to work out that if she pulled on the apple that was attached to the string under the pinata, something exciting would happen.”

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ZSL contribute to conservation efforts for the Asian elephant in Thailand. The herd at Whipsnade Zoo have been contributing to the HEAT (Human-Elephant Alert Technologies) project, through which ZSL researchers, working with zookeepers and the Arribada Initiative, have created the world’s largest collection of elephant thermal images. This data will be used to develop an early warning system which can decrease human-elephant conflict.

Matthew Webb continued: “I hope that elephants like Karishma celebrating World Elephant Day alongside the humans that love and admire them, right across the globe, moves people to support the protection of elephants from human-elephant conflict, habitat loss and poaching.”

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species list the population of Asian elephants as endangered due to declines in their population.