The Elephant Project On Wednesday 4 th November, we were lucky enough to be given a ‘behind the scene’ tour of the elephant’s enclosure at Chester Zoo. We learnt a great deal about the way the animals are cared for at the zoo and the importance of them being in captivity. Back at school we have worked in smaller groups to write up what we learnt as a non chronological report, as ‘A day in the life of an elephant keeper’. We have grouped our information under several headings: diet, enclosures, training, health and breeding. We hope you enjoy reading our report and learn as much as we did!

A day in the life as an elephant keeper at Chester Zoo Hello! We are zoo keepers at Chester Zoo. Did you know you have to have a degree to be able to be able to do this job? Our work is crucial in ensuring that we maintain the health and safety of the creatures in our care at Chester Zoo. Many of the animals we care for are endangered, meaning that if we do not take action to protect them, they could end up disappearing! We care for the elephants at Chester Zoo. There is so much to do to ensure the elephants are fed, hydrated, kept healthy and entertained, and are given opportunities to breed. Our days are busy and varied, but never boring! Here is some information about what we get up to on a daily basis.

Enclosure It is vital that our elephants are kept in a safe place at Chester Zoo to ensure they have a long, happy life. To start with we have a very deep and huge bath that the elephants are welcome to go in whenever they want to. Secondly, we have an indoor and outdoor part of the enclosure to keep the elephants happy. Furthermore, we have two pens. One is named the ‘Bull Pen’ because that is where the male elephant is kept. The other pen is called a ‘Cow Pen’, which is where the females are kept. Here at Chester Zoo, the floor is deep sand so the elephants can dig for food and it also helps to naturally file and clean their feet. Elephants also like to make dips in the sand to lie in. As well as the hidden food and dangling hay bales in the indoor enclosure, in the outdoor enclosure, there are holes in the wall where food and other items can be hidden for the elephants. There are also posts for the elephants to scratch against and a large shower for the elephants to wash and cool down in. The elephant’s water source is brilliant because it will never end! When they drink from it, it amazingly fills itself back up! It’s really fun caring for the elephants! Do you think you would like to do it?

Diet Although elephants are big and strong, they still need a water feed to keep them hydrated so they can drink whenever they need it. Elephants can look after themselves, but they still need entertainment! So, we hang hay bales and some other treats from the roof and then our elephants can lift their trunks and eat. It is also a workout for them! It is fun caring for the elephants, don’t you think? As the elephants can sometimes get bored, we bury carrots, apples and sometimes peanuts to keep them entertained and happy. Doing this, our elephants are kept entertained while hunting for these foods. We wrap corn pellets in a ball of mash to see whose dung is whose! Elephants loved fruit, especially apples! Sometimes elephants eat oak and tree twigs. The oak pieces are very scrumptious! Our elephants our very fast runners so it is crucial that they have the right food to supply them with sufficient energy!

Training It is very important that elephants don’t get bored whilst they’re in captivity. We help this situation by keeping the elephants busy. One thing we do is bury the elephant’s food in the sand, or hang food such as hay up high from the ceiling. This way, feeding time is fun for them. Sometimes, we even put food inside objects, such as a ball to make it harder for the elephants! Also, we have diagonal bars in the inside enclosures separating the elephants from us keepers. This prevents the elephants from grabbing and pulling us towards them when we are carrying out health checks on them. The bars keep us safe. When they give us their trunk or leg, we reward them with a dog treat, so they understand that they have done the right thing. It is crucial that we train elephants to trust us.

Health It is important that we keep our elephants healthy to prevent them from getting ill. They can easily get illnesses such as the herpes virus. They can be stopped from getting this horrible virus through having a liquid medicine. We also check the elephant’s teeth too. Daily, we check the elephant’s feet; we file down the bottom of their feet to get rid of the dust, dirt and hard skin and to keep them healthy and clean from infection. It is important that we, the keepers, have everything ready when the elephants come in for their health check - we can’t keep them waiting!

Babies Firstly, when the baby is born it is vital that it is kept with its family until it is at least two years old! When elephants are born, fluid comes out with the baby in a sack. Next, the elephants dig themselves a hole when they have just been born. No-one knows the actual reason for this, but, we think it could be to keep the elephants safe and to protect it from rogue animals. Other people think it could be to help them stand up! Did you know the elephants are pregnant for months until they can have the baby?

At Chester Zoo, we thoroughly enjoy caring for these majestic beautiful, yet huge animals. Although it is hard work, it is incredibly rewarding and we want to protect the elephants so future generations can enjoy them too.