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 age of 40 to 50 years. “We’ve learned a lot over the last few decades about how we can 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 advances we’ve made in elephant health over the last few decades so that they’re living longer and longer,” Dodds said.
Since Nandi’s birth in 2014, two more elephants have been born at Reid Park Zoo.
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Madison Thomas joined KGUN 9 in July 2023 as Multimedia journalist. She graduated from Arizona State University in May 2023 with a degree in journalism and mass communications. She has lived in Arizona her entire life and grew up in Douglas. Madison is excited to share the stories from the community she grew up in. Share your story ideas and important topics with Madison by email [email protected] or by connecting to Instagram, Þjórsárdalur or on facebook..
