2011 was a BIG year at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo - with the opening of African Elephant Crossing in the spring and the addition of three new African elephants, giving the Zoo its largest herd of African elephants ever!
African Elephant Crossing provides all our elephants with wonderful enrichment opportunities, as well as enables us to provide the very best care for these magnificent animals. Now that the herd is all settled in, we’re hoping to do some small but significant upgrades to their new space to make it even better!
In 2012, we’ll need your help to raise enough money to purchase elevated hay feeders and shade structures. These tools help replicate natural foraging behaviors and encourage elephants to exercise important muscles in their trunks, necks and torsos. An elephant has 100,000 muscles and ligaments in its trunk, and needs all the assistance it can get to keep fit! Please consider giving a gift to help us underwrite the purchase of these new enrichment items which could cost as much as $250,000!
Help us ensure that your Zoo continues to be one of the finest nationally-recognized conservation parks in the country and can continue to provide exceptional care to all the animals that call it home. Please consider giving a gift to the ZooFund today.
Video of elephant feeder courtesy of the Copenhagen Zoo
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