Taronga Western Plains Zoo celebrates Elephant Day

Taronga Western Plains Zoo are today celebrating World Elephant Day (12th August), a global and annual recognition of everything related to Elephants.

At Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Elephant Keeper Jackie Cantrall considers the Zoo “lucky enough to have a large and successful Asian Elephant conservation breeding program, and therefore World Elephant Day is a very important day in our annual calendar. 

“Our breeding program consists of eight Asian Elephants in total, four males and four females, this includes the two mums with calves, three bulls and one female who is in her mid-60s.

“Taronga Western Plains Zoo has a diverse herd, which allows us to create many different social opportunities for the elephants.

Cantrall adds “Almost all the elephants get rotated around all our different paddocks on a daily basis, except the little calves, who usually have the same day paddock and night facility, as it has been specially designed for calves.

“The Zoo also has the ability to put different males in with the cows and calves for socialisation, as well as different bulls together for social time.

“All these different combinations are excellent chances for our calves and young bulls to learn how to be young elephants and also how to have some good play time with each other.”

Asian Elephants are currently an endangered species, with an estimated only 40 000 – 50 000 elephants in the wild and their numbers are continuing to decline.  This is why World Elephant Day is such an important day to keepers at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. 

Cantrall notes: “It’s a chance for us to help educate visitors about elephants, and hopefully connect our visitors with our elephants through some of the special activities we are holding this World Elephant Day.

“This includes a rare elephant barn tour, the enrichment feed for our cows and calves, and of course a special elephant talk with the two young bulls Luk Chai and Pathi Harn.”