A New Bedford zoo is having a birthday party for two of the country's oldest elephants.
NEW BEDFORD — There’s a giant elephant in the room to be discussed – Elephant Appreciation Day at Buttonwood Park Zoo.
Originally planned for this Sunday, the zoo announced it has now been postponed to Oct. 1, due to inclement weather.
“It’s tied into celebrating Ruth and Emily’s (Asian elephants) birthdays,” said Shara Rapoza, assistant director of the zoo, adding that the two are turning 65 and 59, respectively.
“That Ruth and Emily (Asian Elephants) have lived well beyond the average life expectancy under human care is just a testament to the care that they receive here.”
Elephant Appreciation Day
Born in 1958, Ruth arrived at the zoo from the East Coast Camel Co in 1986. Emily arrived at the zoo a year earlier from the Baton Rouge Zoo. They are two of the oldest elephants in North America. Ruth is the second oldest.
“Elephant Appreciation Day is another opportunity to visit the elephants that the community knows and loves, to really inspire people to care about elephant conservation,” Rapoza said.
As the Asian elephant population has dwindled down to less than 50,000, according to USAToday, there is a potential for elephants to become extinct within 30 years.
“It’s important for people to learn about what steps they can take with conservative species, it's a sad thought to think of elephants going extinct in our lifetime, that our children may not be able to see and learn about these animals,” Rapoza said.
Celebrate Ruth and Emily’s birthday
The Asian elephant habitat will host educational activities Oct. 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a Happy Birthday sing-a-long and special enrichment happening at 1 p.m.
Guests can bring a special treat for the elephants such as unopened packages of unsalted shelled peanuts, yogurt-covered raisins or dried fruit to be accepted on their behalf.
Know before you go
The BPZoo features animals that can be found in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.
More: New Bedford film 'Finestkind' gets 'not so kind' early reviews at Toronto Film Festival.
The zoo is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with the last admission at 4:15 p.m. The zoo does not allow pets. Parking is free and the zoo accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express.
Apple Pay is accepted at the cafe and gift shop.
Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports.Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.
This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day at Buttonwood Park Zoo
