An elephant would never forget your birthday, and the Saint Louis Zoo is hoping you won’t forget this pachyderm’s special day, either.
Raja, the zoo’s lone male elephant, is celebrating his 29th birthday on Monday, December 27 with a virtual bash. Typically, Raja’s birthday would call for a party at River’s Edge, but for the safety of guests, staff, and animals, there won’t be an in-person event this year. Instead, zoo officials are encouraging kids and families to log on to the Saint Louis Zoo’s website to watch a special video to commemorate the occasion. The zoo’s elephant care team recently treated Raja to a private, pre-birthday surprise and recorded it to share with his fans in St. Louis and beyond.
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The video, which will premiere at 11 a.m., will also be available at Facebook.com/stlzoo, Instagram.com/stlzoo, Twitter.com/stlzoo and Youtube.com/stlzootube. The zoo’s website will also feature educational activities for kids, elephant facts, and a digital birthday card that children can sign.
“While we hoped to have the traditional birthday party for Raja this year, we invite all our guests to celebrate and tune in with us virtually,” Katie Pilgram-Kloppe, River’s Edge zoological manager, said in a statement. “Our professional elephant care team is dedicated to providing excellent care for Raja and the Zoo’s three-generation Asian elephant family every day of the year, but we all enjoy giving them some extra special attention on their birthdays.”
Raja has called St. Louis home since his birth at the zoo on Dec. 27, 1992. He’s the father of three female elephants: Maliha, Jade, and Priya.
Update
Here’s the video:
