A curious baby elephant was recently captured on video enjoying a playful day with bubbles in his pen at the Fort Worth Zoo. The endearing footage, shared by the zoo, features Brazos, a nearly 10-month-old elephant, experiencing bubbles for the first time. Born on October 21, Brazos is the fourth Asian elephant to be born at the zoo in over three decades. In the video, Brazos can be seen eagerly interacting with the bubbles, opening his mouth and reaching out with his trunk before joyfully chasing after them. At one point, he even attempts to catch bubbles from a machine by opening his mouth wide in a comical attempt to swallow them.
On Friday, Brazos, the young elephant at Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, was spotted having a blast playing with a bubble machine.
Born on October 21, he was the fourth Asian elephant to join the Fort Worth Zoo’s breeding program, which was established back in 1986. The zoo has been a leading force in elephant conservation efforts and has even been recognized as the top zoo in America by USA Today in 2020. According to Associate Professor Victoria Bennett of Texas Christian University, conservation involves implementing management plans and strategies to protect vulnerable species. Zoos play a crucial role in conservation by preserving genetic diversity and biodiversity. Recently, the Fort Worth Zoo unveiled Elephant Springs, a new enclosure for its eight elephants. This space features lush green areas, different terrain to explore, and a fresh waterhole for the elephants to drink and swim in.
At the Fort Worth Zoo, you can find a total of eight Asian elephants – four boys and four girls. This makes the zoo a major player in efforts to preserve and protect these amazing animals. Check out the photo of Brazos hanging out with other Asian elephants in their cozy home at the Fort Worth Zoo!
Back in April, the zoo unveiled a brand new enclosure worth $32million, giving the elephants more room to wander around in. The funding for this project shows the zoo’s continued dedication to leading the way in elephant conservation efforts. According to National Geographic, Asian elephants were first classified as an endangered species in 1976 and their population has dwindled by about half in the last 75 years. It is estimated that there are only between 20,000 to 40,000 of these majestic creatures left in the wild. The main threats to these animals include the loss of their natural habitats, fragmentation of their groups, and environmental degradation. Male Asian elephants are especially targeted by hunters for their valuable ivory tusks, as females do not possess them.