Melbourne Zoo is proud to introduce Sanook, the latest addition to our growing Asian Elephant herd. More than 4,000 Victorians voted online to name the baby elephant and Sanook, which means fun-loving and cheerful in Thai, was the overwhelming favourite. Originally weighing in at an impressive 131 kilograms, Sanook has grown quickly and is proving to be active and confident, just like his siblings Mali and Ongard. The Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith, announced the name at a special naming celebration held at Melbourne Zoo on Thursday, 14 March. “He is cheeky, confident and loves a bit of fun so I think Victorians have chosen his name well,” Mr Smith said. This is the third birth since the arrival of three young elephant cows from Thailand in November 2006 as part of a new Regional Cooperative Conservation Breeding Program for this endangered species. Together with the rest of the herd, Sanook will help increase community awareness about the threats to the Asian Elephants’ natural habitat and what can be done to protect them in the wild. The naming ceremony included Thai dancers and puppeteers as part of the Thai festival to be held this Sunday 17 March at Federation Square.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 09:15:39 +0000
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