Celebrate Asian Elephants at the National Zoo

If you visit the National Zoo on August 22, 2009, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., you'll find out how it takes a whole zoo to care for elephants. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the Embassies of Sri Lanka, Thailand and India will celebrate Asian elephants and highlight the importance of these charismatic, endangered animals. The free event will feature animal demos, dance performances, activities, and fascinating displays. Watch the elephants as they are bathed, weighed, and trained to hold still for physical exams, weighing, and x-rays.

The National Zoo has three Asian elephants: Kandula, a male, born in 2001; Shanthi, a female, born about 1975 and Ambika, a female born around 1948. Zoo representatives will be on-hand to tell visitors about the new Elephant Trails exhibit currently under construction, scheduled to open in mid 2011.

_{Photo © Jessie Cohen/National Zoo}

See more photos of the Elephants at the National Zoo