Elderly elephants take daily yoga classes
By WLWT Staff
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CINCINNATI (WLWT) — Age-related aches and pains are not just for humans. They’re very much real for other members of the animal kingdom too.
At the Cincinnati Zoo, keepers are working to keep its aging herd feeling youthful.
They’ve developed “elephant yoga” sessions, of sorts, led each day by zookeepers. The exercises include yoga-inspired stretches, like the downward-facing dog, modified for the zoo’s elephant population.
Zoo officials say that the elephants love the daily sessions, adding that exercises help prevent mobility issues – critical for the aging herd.
The average lifespan of an elephant is 60-70 years. Mai Thai, 49; Schottzie, 47; Jati, 36; and Sabu, 34, are all partaking in the daily sessions.
Cincinnati’s elephant herd will soon find itself in a brand new habitat, one of the final phases in the zoo’s $150 million More Home to Roam capital campaign.
The elephant portion of the project is the most ambitious, zoo officials said, creating a complex habitat for a multigenerational herd.
Plans for Cincinnati’s new habitat include natural elements like trees, mud wallows, grasses, pools, streams and plenty of room for the elephants to explore.
“They are going to have a huge space, and we’re hoping to add more elephants to the herd. We’re hoping to have babies, eventually, so we’ll have this multigenerational herd of eight to 10 elephants roaming around in this beautiful natural habitat,” said Michelle Curley, communications director for the zoo.
The new elephant habitat is slated to open in 2024.
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