Trunk Tales

Follow us as we blog about the Houston Zoo’s family of elephants. From births, habitat expansion, and worldwide elephant news, we cover it all.

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Nov
21

The Swim Lessons were a Success

Posted by in Baylor,Elephant Care,Shanti,Tupelo

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 [...]

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Aug
18

Everyday is a good day to go for a swim

Posted by in Elephant Care,Play Time

Everyday is a good day to go for a swim

Everyone here inHoustonis feeling the heat of summer!  Thai, the zoo’s 12,000 pound, 45 year old, male elephant will often spend time in his pool in the summer. But, he only likes to swim when it is HOT and SUNNY!  At 1:30 every day, the Elephant care team has a keeper chat and provides guests [...]

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Aug
09

Swim Lessons

Posted by in Baylor,Enrichment,Tupelo

Swim Lessons

Most elephants love the water, and Tupelo and Baylor are no exception. Where there is a hose, pool, or even puddle, these two are probably not far away. While they love being in the water, swimming is something they have to learn. At the Houston Zoo, we start the babies off in small kiddie pools. [...]

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Jul
17

Pearly Whites!

Posted by in Baylor

Everyone knows elephants have tusks!  But, not everyone knows that for the Asian elephant species, it is only the male elephant that has two huge, ivory tusks.  Female Asian elephants have smaller pieces of ivory called tushes.  They are located in the spot as a male’s tusks, but are often hard to see because they [...]

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Jun
30

I wonder Who’s Moving next Door?

Posted by in Elephant Care,Elephant Herd

Where did the Giraffes go? What is the zoo building now? These are a few of the things zoo guests have been asking when they stretch to look over the construction fence next to the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. Well, the giraffes have moved to the new African Forest and the zoo is building a [...]

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May
27

Big Daddy

Posted by in Baylor,Elephant Herd,Tupelo

Elephants live in a matriarchal society meaning that herds of elephants generally consist of adult females with their calves.  Baylor and Tupelo spend every day with Shanti and Tess (their mothers) and the rest of the Houston Zoo herd.  Thailand, the zoo’s 45 year old bull elephant, is the father of both calves.   Thai often [...]

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May
02

April Showers Bring… Mud and More Mud

Posted by in Baylor,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.  Following a spring [...]

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Apr
25

Who Wants an apple?

Posted by in Baylor,Elephant Care,Tupelo

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. [...]

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Apr
19

Splishin and Splashin

Posted by in Elephant Care,Enrichment,toys,Tucker

Splishin and Splashin

With the temperatures rising in Houston, the zoo’s elephants are really enjoying playing with water again.  Tucker, the zoo’s 5 year old bull, is probably the most excited about the warm temperatures.  Tucker is rotated in and out of the bull yard with the pool periodically throughout the week.  On the days that Tucker is [...]

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Apr
04

Who’s Your Daddy?

Posted by in Baylor,Elephant Herd,Featured,Tupelo

A lot of zoo guests have a noticed a new elephant in the exhibit while visiting the zoo.  But, it is not really a new elephant to the Houston Zoo.  In fact, the elephant is Thai the zoo’s adult bull and father of Baylor and Tupelo.  Thai has been spending a lot of quality time [...]

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