By Madison Thomas
Click here for the latest information on this story.
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A 10th birthday party was held Saturday at the Reid Park Zoo for Nandi, the first elephant born in Arizona.
Guests also had the opportunity to interact with staff, do crafts, learn about elephants at the Meet the Vet table, and children could play in their own mud wallows just like the elephants do. All of these activities were designed to combine fun and education.
Reid Park Zoo currently has five elephants. All are female. Nandi is described by Cassie Dodds, Reid Park Zoo’s elephant keeper, as a very enthusiastic and brave elephant.
To celebrate her birthday, she received special ice cream treats, branches and, of course, lots of mud.
Dodds says elephants at the zoo live an average of 40 to 50 years. “We’ve learned a lot over the last few decades about how to really improve their healthcare, and today we have a ‘Meet the Vet’ table here where there’s a lot of talk about the improvements and advancements we’ve made in elephant health over the last few decades, so we’re seeing them live longer and longer,” Dodds said.
Since Nandi’s birth in 2014, two more elephants have been born at Reid Park Zoo.
Please note: This content is subject to a strict local market embargo. If you live in the same market as the author of this article, you are not allowed to use it on any platform.
