A bull elephant at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, NSW, recently took a unique approach to snack time, using his strength to smash oversized pumpkins before enjoying the pieces with a companion.
The video features Luk Chai, a six-year-old bull elephant, effortlessly crushing massive pumpkins underfoot on Tuesday, joined by another male elephant, Pathi Harn. The pair then feast on the shattered pumpkins, some weighing as much as 60 kilograms each.
The pumpkins, winners from the Dubbo Show, were donated to the zoo, where they became part of an engaging enrichment activity.
“It’s fantastic to repurpose these pumpkins, and their large size adds a fun challenge in the elephants’ enrichment program,” shared Bobby Jo Clow, an elephant keeper at the zoo.
These activities help the elephants use their problem-solving abilities, something they’re highly skilled at, Clow explained.
The pumpkins were grown by students from St Mary’s Public School in western Sydney, adding a meaningful connection to the zoo’s enrichment efforts.
