Hyderabad: World Elephant Day was celebrated at the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad on Tuesday. To mark the occasion, all three female elephants were taken out of their regular display enclosure for a walk around the zoo.

A special ‘jumbo feast’ was served to all four elephants—Vanaja, Asha, Sita, and Vijay.

The feast included a variety of vegetables and fruits such as cabbage, carrot, cucumber, sweet corn, papaya, banana, watermelon, apple, pineapple, oranges, grapes, sugarcane, and coconuts. They were also given specially made cakes, weighing 5 kg each, prepared with cooked rice, ragi, fruits, and vegetables.

Speaking at the event, J. Vasantha, Curator of Nehru Zoological Park, said that the zoo was very proud to celebrate World Elephant Day. As part of an educational programme, the elephants were taken out of their enclosure for a 3 km walk inside the zoo, where they ate tree branches of their choice that were within reach. With the help of animal keepers and kitchen and store staff, the jumbo cakes were made and served to all the elephants.

Visitors were allowed inside the enclosure to view the elephants from close quarters. Facts about elephants and their importance in the ecosystem were also shared with the visitors.

Several visitors appreciated the initiatives taken by the zoo management in educating them through the celebration of such eco-days. They said that this kind of activity created more awareness and was very educational.

M. Barnoba, Deputy Curator, Dr M. A. Hakeem, Deputy Director (vet), Dr P. Srinivas, Assistant Director (Vet), NaziaThabassum, Assistant Curator-I, B. Laxman, Assistant Curator-I, and other officers, animal keepers, and office staff

were present.