Zoo Safari Park celebrates birthdays of two young elephants

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The San Diego Zoo's Safari Park held birthday celebrations on Thursday, Sept. 26 for calf Mkhaya, nicknamed Kaia, and her older brother Inhlonipho, nicknamed Neepo, featuring birthday cakes made of ice and fruit, paper streamers and decorated boxes filled with hay and produce.

The park held the celebration for Kaia's first birthday and Neepo's eighth, the second birthday celebration for the park's elephant herd in the past six weeks.

Another calf in the herd, Umzuli-zuli, celebrated his first birthday Aug. 12. As part of the celebration, Kaia, Neepo and the rest of the herd enjoyed treats like watermelon, cucumber, yams, carrots and celery.

"The keeper team, our nutrition team, horticulture team and the Safari Park volunteers have provided some fun enrichment for Kaia and Neepo, and the entire herd gets to enjoy the party,'' Safari Park lead elephant keeper Mindy Albright said.

The Safari Park rescued the three adult elephants in its herd in 2003 from Eswatini, formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland. All three elephants were in danger of being killed, according to the zoo.

African elephants are currently listed as "vulnerable'' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature due to habitat loss, conflicts with humans and poaching.

Since 2004, the zoo has given more than $30,000 annually to Eswatini's big game parks for anti-poaching programs and the purchase of additional acreage to ensure elephants have safe habitat space.

Safari Park visitors can see all nine members of the elephant herd, including Kaia and Neepo at the park's Elephant Valley exhibit. The elephants also can be seen on the zoo's online Elephant Cam feed.