Elephants smash huge pumpkins in annual Oregon Zoo ritual
The Oregon Zoo’s elephant herd partook Inside the annual “Squishing of the Squash” on Oct. 14, 2021, reducing huge pumpkins into pulps.
PORTLAND, Ore. – A herd of elephants acquired to smash huge pumpkins this week On the Oregon Zoo, a fall exercise held Yearly to usher in Halloween.
The Oregon Zoo’s Twenty third annual “Squishing of the Squash” event was held Thursday By which A pair of of the world’s hugest land animals pulverized The world’s hugest pumpkins.
The zoo said bodily distancing and restrictions on huge gatherings As a Outcome of of coronavirus pandemic meant the event couldn’t be held in public this yr, however that didn’t cease The huge animals from having some take pleasure inable. Video shared by the zoo reveals its Asian elephant household stomping and chomping on the pumpkins earlier than the zoo opened.
“Every thing appears Barely completely different for us this yr, However the elephants didn’t Appear to thoughts,” senior keeper Dimas Dominguez said in A press launch. “They acquired one 650-pound pumpkin and a couple extra pretty huge ones to play with. First, they destroy them, then they take pleasure in them.”
The Squishing of the Squash custom dates again to 1999 when the native Hoffman’s Dairy Backyard of Canby dropped off a prize-worthwhile 828-pound pumpkin for the elephant household.
“In these days, native farmers typically donated overstock pumpkins To be used Inside the zoo’s groundbreaking animal enrichment efforts — enhancing animals’ properly-being by offering stimulating and difficult environments, objects and actions,” the zoo defined.
A screengrab from the video reveals an elephant about to smash An monumental pumpkin On the Oregon Zoo on Oct. 14, 2021, in Portland, Oregon. (Credit rating: Oregon Zoo by way of Storyful)
This yr’s pumpkins have been provided by Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers Membership members Larry Nelson and Jacob Baldridge.
The Oregon Zoo, located in Portland’s Washington Park, has maintained an Asian elephant program for Greater than 60 yrs. They’re thought-about an endangered species by the World Wildlife Fund, which estimates that fewer than 50,000 stay, and are threatened by habitat loss, battle with people and illness.
These “terribly social” animals can differ anyplace between 6.5 ft to 11.5 ft and weigh round 11,000 kilos, the WWF says. They inhabit dry to moist forest and grassland habitats in 13 completely different nations spanning throughout Asia.
The Oregon Zoo helps a broad differ of efforts To assist wild elephants and established a $1 million endowment take pleasure inabled supporting Asian elephant …….
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