Scotty to celebrate 2nd birthday at the Louisville Zoo March 21

 

Baby elephant Scotty will be celebrating his 2nd birthday on Saturday, March 21.

In the last year, Scotty has hit major milestones like learning how to swim, teething and even being featured in People magazine as a “superstar.”

The March 21 birthday festivities begin at 11 a.m. when Scotty (along with mom Mikki and aunt Punch) will demonstrate some of his training to the public. Three guests will be chosen at random from attendees and asked to guess Scotty’s weight. The person who guesses the closest will receive an elephant gift basket from the Zoo’s Gift Shop.

The elephant staff will also measure Scotty then give him a special elephant-sized birthday cake and present.

“Turning 2 is a big deal, and we are very excited,” said Dave Campbell, Louisville Zoo’s Elephant Area Supervisor. “We hope everyone will come out and see how much he has grown and celebrate with us.”

Other Zoo animals will also be celebrating the momentous occasion at various times throughout the day with special animal enrichment. Baby elephant Scotty will receive more special birthday enrichment again at 3 p.m. His training will be showcased as well.

 

Schedule of Birthday Events

• 11 a.m. – Birthday celebration

  • Scotty will be weighed and measured and showcase his training.

  • Three guests will be chosen at random to guess Scotty’s weight. The person who guesses the closest will receive an elephant gift basket.

  • Visitors will sing “Happy Birthday” to Scotty as he is given his birthday cake and special gift.

• 3 p.m. – Birthday gifts

  • Scotty will once again demonstrate some of the behaviors he has learned in a training session and receive more special birthday enrichment.

• Throughout the Day

  • Zoo Docents will be out and about with a variety of interesting elephant biofacts.

  • Stop by the ADOPTS booth near the elephant barn to learn how you can “adopt” Scotty through an exclusive, special, one-time-offer package. The $50 adoption (normally priced at $75) will include a printed “adoption” certificate, adoptive parent’s name featured on the Zoo’s website, an African elephant information card, Scotty photo button and a plush elephant. All ADOPTS (Animal Depend on People To Survive) proceeds support the Zoo’s grocery bill, which totals more than $400,000 each year.

  • Don’t miss other Zoo animals celebrating Scotty’s birthday with special animal enrichment. They include:

    • 10 a.m.             Lions

    • 10:30 a.m.       Camels

    • 11:30 a.m.       Iguana

    • Noon               Puma

    • 1 p.m.              Orangutans

    • 1:45 p.m.          Warthogs

    • 2 p.m.              Amur tigers

    • 3 p.m.              Meerkats

    • 3:30 p.m.          Woolly monkeys

* Birthday events are subject to change due to weather or other circumstances.

 

Scotty Background

Scotty was born March 18, 2007, at 8:45 p.m. at the Louisville Zoo. At birth, he weighed in at 285 pounds and was 37.5 inches tall. He is the first elephant born in Kentucky and the Zoo’s 40-year history.

He currently likes to play with tree branches (he enjoyed all the downed tree branches at the Zoo during the recent ice storm!), but his favorite treat is bananas.

 

-- MEDIA COVERAGE --

To cover this event, please arrive and sign in at the Zoo’s front receptionist desk by 10:45 a.m. for an escort to the Elephant Barn. If you have questions, contact Louisville Zoo Public Relations Manager Kara Bussabarger at 502-238-5331.

Scotty photo by Nick Bonura Photography.