…and then there were the elephants.

Giving a drink of water to Thailand, a 13,000lb bull elephant

The herd of Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus) was always a favored destination in the zoo during my childhood. How could one not immediately fall in love with the beauty of amazing gentle giants? The social dynamic of these animals is so outstanding that there is always something new to observe, and my childhood self could simply not get enough. Thankfully, my adult self retains that same sense of wonder for the natural world – I must admit that I am in awe everyday that I am able to work with these beautiful creatures.

I began in this field by working with birds and have since made the large (literally) change to elephants. Many people have a particular view of zoo keepers, but the simple fact is that zoo keepers are hard to define because they are never only one thing. Zoo keepers are animal caretakers that must be willing to use their intelligence, ingenuity and passion to overcome any of the obstacles thrown at them. While the day-to-day routine of a particular animal section may differ, these skills are most certainly necessary when taking care of any animal. I must admit that it is now my great pleasure to call myself an Elephant Keeper here at the Houston Zoo.

This blog exists to share the story of our elephants, and this tale also includes the interaction with keepers. Keepers at the Houston Zoo work tirelessly to provide any and everything for the animals under our care. Over the next several weeks, I will do my best to chronicle the unique struggles and challenges as I learn about and try to forge a relationship with these animals (the largest and possibly most-intelligent of all animals at the zoo). I look forward to the chance to grow and develop with our herd of elephants, and hopefully I will have many “Trunk Tales” to offer.

Baylor, Shanti, and Tupelo in the new pool

Our entire herd is having a great time in their new, expanded exhibit, and Baylor and Tupelo have picked their favorite part of all-the giant swimming pool! Elephants love the water, and bathing is one of their favorite activities. Although elephants are very large and do not look like the most graceful of swimmers, they actually have a few advantages in the water. Elephants are naturally buoyant, making it easy for them to float in the water, but the biggest advantage is their trunk. When swimming, elephants can raise the tip of their trunk above the water and breathe through it like a snorkel. This allows them to be underwater for as long as they like, which is especially helpful in the wild when crossing large, deep rivers.
Tupelo, now 13 months old, and Baylor, now 18 months old, are gradually learning to swim in the deep end of their new 80,000 gallon pool. Over the past few months, keepers have slowly filled the pool so that the calves could get used to swimming in deeper waters. At first, Baylor and Tupelo could stand on the bottom and lay down to float on their sides. As the water level rose, the calves could practice kicking and breathing through their trunks. Now, the pool is almost filled to the highest level, and the rest of our herd is starting to enjoy swimming as well. Tess often joins her calf Tupelo in the pool, and usually relaxes while floating on her side to cool off. Shanti, Baylor’s mom, loves to play in the pool with both calves by splashing with her trunk. Tucker loves to splash and swim, but most of the time you can only see his trunk above the water. Even Thailand and Methai get in the shallow end to cool off!

The elephants get in the pool when the mood strikes them, but chances are if you stop by the new Asian Elephant exhibit on a warm day, you will see the Baylor and Tupelo splashing, running and swimming, enjoying all their new habitat has to offer.

Shanti, Baylor and Tupleo playing in the new pool

From there, they graduate into a big pool, but keepers do not fill the pool all the way up. We start by keeping the water about two feet deep and gradually fill it until they are comfortable moving about in the water. The new elephant yard which is slated to open this fall has an 80,000 gallon pool with terraced landings so the elephants can enjoy the water at various depths. At first, the pool will only be filled a few feet so that they can become familiar with the tiers, ramps, and contour of the pool. This process does not take long and before we know it, Baylor,Tupelo, and Tucker will most likely be spending the better part of the day romping in the pool. This series of videos shows Tupelo and Baylor’s first adventures into the adult elephant pool. Tupelo is fearless and pretty much dove right in to the water.

Baylor erred on the side of caution and took a more methodical approach. Once in, it was game on and getting them out of the pool then became a challenge.

Baylor showing us his new tusks

Baylor’s left tusk was first visible through the sulcus on May 27^th and the right was visible on May 30^th.  They are growing quickly!  Tusks have many uses including digging, lifting, acquiring food, defense, offense, and display. 

Written by: Kimberly Klein, Houston Zoo Elephant Keeper

new yard under construction

It may seem like the zoo just built an exhibit and you are right, we did. But, as our herd continues to grow and we try to emulate the wild by creating small family groups, our need for space is also growing. The elephant expansion will be a great new addition to the elephant program. The expansion is just over an acre in size and contains multiple elevated feeders, scratching stumps, several live trees, rocks, and a new pool.

The new pool

The new pool is roughly 80,000 gallons of filtered and sanitized water with large tiered steps to accommodate all of the elephants whether they want to wade in the shallows or submerge in the deep end. All of the elephants will enjoy the pool, but none more than Tucker, Baylor, and Tupelo. The expansion will also feature an area where our elephant caregivers can conduct up close and personal training and husbandry sessions with the elephants. These sessions will provide a much more intimate atmosphere for zoo guests to interact with the elephant care team and hopefully gain a greater appreciation for the magnificence of elephants. This area has rocks and logs which the elephants can walk on to show off their nimbleness and balance. There is also a log pile where the elephants can demonstrate the ways of their ancestors which were used as beasts of burden for thousands of years. Lastly, the expansion area means more space and more options.

Tucker checking out the new digs

As Tucker matures into a solitary bull elephant, he will reap the benefits of having a yard all to himself just like our adult male Thailand. The new yard gives zookeepers a lot more flexibility as to where the elephants spend their days and nights. Zookeepers can rotate which elephants live in each exhibit on a daily basis. This ability to move and shift elephants will provide them with different enrichment opportunities and make them eager to explore.

Written by: Daryl Hoffman, Houston Zoo Large Mammal Curator

Another view of the expansion

 

Thai and Baylor

Adult bull elephants are generally solitary creatures.  But, sometimes zoo guests can see Thai in the same yard as the herd.  That is one of the many things that makes Thai a very special bull elephant.  Thai is very good with baby elephants and seems enjoy socializing with the herd.  Baylor and Tupelo also seem to love spending time with Thai.  The calves follow him around and mimic many of his behaviors.  Thai will even sometimes play with the calves and share is hay!  Thai is an excellent father!

Thai and Tupelo

Celebrate Dad by giving him a memorable Father’s Day gift this year – name a Houston Toad after him! With your gift, you help us support Houston Toads, a critically endangered species native to Texas. Click here to learn more about Houston Toads and how you can further the Houston Zoo’s conservation efforts that help ensure their survival. (www.houstonzoo.org/name-a-toad )

Thai, Baylor, Tupelo, & Methai

Come visit the newly-named toads on June 19 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. as we celebrate a TOAD-ally Awesome Father’s Day at the Houston Zoo. This fun, family event will be filled with crafts, activities, Houston Toad info and much more! This event is FREE with your paid Zoo admission.

Written by: Kim Klein, Houston Zoo Elephant Keeper

Muddy Tupelo

April showers usually bring May flowers, but to the elephant herd mud is a much better result from rain showers than spring blooms.  Siblings Baylor and Tupelo spend much of their day playing with one another, and mud – as it is for most children – is one of their favorite playgrounds. 

Tupelo and Baylor

Following a spring shower, you can find the inseparable pair splashing and roughhousing in the muck and mire.  Usually, too much energy is required for the much larger adult elephants to get down and roll around in the mud, but you will surely see them making good use of it. 

Baylor, Tupelo, and Tess

Asian elephants are naturally attracted to water, soil, and mud as these are the perfect ingredients to form protective coatings on their skin that help to maintain cooler body temperatures and ward off insects and harmful UV rays.  So, following the next Houston cloud burst, be sure to stop by and visit Baylor and Tupelo and the rest of the herd to catch them making the most of a muddy situation.

Written by Joel Carter, Houston Zoo Elephant Keeper

Baylor and Tupelo getting dirty

Baylor and his trainer Martina

When Baylor and Tupelo each reached approximately three months of age, they started eating solid foods! This was a huge milestone for the elephants and the keepers, because at that time formal training sessions began. The keepers started to work with the calves on basic behaviors like targeting, lifting their feet, and lifting their trunks.

Baylor learning to touch a target

Training is now an everyday part of the calves’ lives. Of course, all of their training sets are short and positive. Baylor and Tupelo both really seem to enjoy the attention from their trainers. Favorite training foods for the baby elephants are carrots, yams, and bread.

Written by: Martina Stevens, Houston Zoo Elephant Manager

Baylor learning "trunk" behavior

 

Baylor and Shanti with their trainers

Written by: Mandy Rinker, Houston Zoo Elephant Keeper