Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Wildlife Wednesday - Elephants

Last week I spent 2 days at Western Plains Zoo at Dubbo, and we did a Zoofari Lodge stay which included 3 behind-the-scenes animal tours, as well as scrumptious meals and glamping (glamorous camping accommodation) and OMG it was fab!

I am torn between the giraffes and the elephants as my favourite experiences, but I went alphabetically and elephants are first!

You see elephants at the zoo all the time. No big deal, right? But we went inside the elephant's shed and watched them interact with the keepers and it blew my mind.

Cuddles is the African elephant and she was old. I forget exactly but maybe 40 or so. I was standing in front of her and I fell in love with her cheekiness. There were two Asian elephants, Burma and another (gosh, sorry, memory is shot) who have smaller ears.

The photos will probably explain better than lots of words, so let me give you photos and a little spiel.

Cuddles sneaking her trunk out to check me out, or to attract her keeper (which worked because he came and said "Trunk inside").


Cuddles reaching out to the keeper after he'd already corrected her twice for having her trunk outside.


Cuddles showing us her ears and blowing through her trunk - for the keepers to check her health.
Cuddles opens her mouth for a teeth check.

One of the Asian elephants painting - yep, holding the paint brush with their trunk and painting on the easel.
A closer look at painting

In the distance is the finished masterpiece.


Some of the elephant art for sale ($149 each)
Aren't they incredible? We went to see them before breakfast, before I would normally be up, and I was breathless, speechless, and not complaining one bit!!

No comments:

Post a Comment