Birthday Party @ Hogle Zoo for North America's Oldest African Elephant (SLC: June 26)

HOGLE ZOO HAS PLANNED A GIANT BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION FOR NORTH AMERICA’S OLDEST AFRICAN ELEPHANT !

(Salt Lake City, UT) – For 79 years, millions of visitors to Utah’s Hogle Zoo have loved seeing the elephants, including the three currently living at Elephant Encounter. Now, North America’s oldest African elephant in an accredited zoo, Hogle Zoo’s own Dari, is turning 50 and the celebration is about to begin! Join the rest of Dari’s fans, Saturday June 26, 2010 from 10 am to 2 pm for Dari’s 50th Birthday Party.

On this day, Elephant Encounter will be throwing a 60’s-themed party to commemorate not only the year of her birth (1960) but also the year she arrived at Hogle Zoo (1967). At 10:30, Hogle Zoo elephant keepers will be giving a tasty birthday “cake” to Dari in her honor! Great photo op! Additionally, Atomic Amy will play some rockin’ 60s tunes in Oasis Plaza and there will be crafts for the kids and fun activities for the whole family.

The first 1,000 people to wish Dari a “happy birthday” at Elephant Encounter will receive a free slice of pie, courtesy of Village Inn.

Born in 1960, Dari arrived at Hogle Zoo in 1967. For the next 42 and 1/2 years, she has delighted several generations of Hogle Zoo families while helping Hogle Zoo staff teach about the importance of elephant conservation in the wild. Although the poaching of elephants for their ivory has declined since the 1989 "ivory ban", it remains a widespread problem in west and central Africa. A more long-term threat to the species, however, is the reduction of habitat available to elephants in the face of expanding human populations. At Hogle Zoo’s Elephant Encounter, people can learn about African elephants, their plight in the wild, and how decreasing populations can be helped.

It’s birthday time, but no stupid party games here—only the best for an animal as majestic as Dari! For more information about Dari’s 50th Birthday Party celebration at Hogle Zoo, contact Hogle Zoo Associate Director, Brad C. Parkin at (801) 584-1749 or email at bparkin@hoglezoo.org

About the Association of Zoos & Aquariums:
Utah’s Hogle Zoo is one of only 216 accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things. AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation, and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit www.aza.org.



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