The animals visibly enjoy it and the visitors have also come to the zoo for the birthday boy. “I’ve been coming here every day for years,” says Janny Huizinga. Always in one line to the elephants. “I think they are beautiful animals and I enjoy following them.”
Today she is even more enthusiastic than usual. “I felt different today, more festive,” she laughs. She’s not the only one who gets up early to celebrate the elephant’s birthday. “I take pictures more often, even now I try to capture the moment well,” says a visitor who is standing at the fence with a large camera in her hands. She has also been a regular visitor to the zoo for years and knows the elephant well.
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Especially for the birthday, the zoo has set up a stall where people can submit photos of the elephant. There are all the necessary photos there an hour after the opening.
Caregiver Erwin Lawant is happy with the enthusiasm for the jubilee. “We think it’s special because we know the animals well. It’s very nice to see that visitors do that too.”
In addition, he keeps a close eye on whether the animals enjoy the treat. And they do. “Yes, they all like it very much,” he says. “The youngest family member also likes it, although he had to get used to it.” It takes the little elephant more and more effort to enjoy the ice cream cake: out of enthusiasm he threw it into the water. “Fortunately, they can swim well,” Lawant concludes with a laugh.