A mud hole can be fun, too!
Our youngest elephant, Qinisa, is 10 months old and already weighs 694 pounds (315 kilograms). She is very playful and often instigates play with the other calves at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, especially Inhlonipho (Neepo). She is becoming brave enough to come into the pool with her mom, Swazi, and join in the fun with all the other calves. Khosi and Kami still enjoy babysitting, and they step in to help when the other calves play too rough with little Qinisa.
In May, Khosi broke her left tusk and exposed the pulp inside of it. Our vet staff, exotic animal dentist, and elephant keepers all worked together to help Khosi by repairing her tusk with a pulpotomy. She is on the road to recovery and is playing with the other members of the herd. Also, Emanti had an infected tusk removed a few months ago, and he is healing nicely and plays a lot with Ingadze and Inhlonipho.
It is getting warmer now, and our elephants are in the water more often. Check out our Elephant Cam and see if it is playtime for our elephants!
Laura Price is an elephant keeper at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.