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Tag: Tula-Tu

  • Oregon Zoo Celebrates Tula-Tu’s First Birthday, Sunday – KXL

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    Tula-Tu, January 2026; courtesy of the Oregon Zoo.

    Portland, Ore. – The Oregon Zoo hosts a first birthday celebration Sunday for the state’s LARGEST celebrity. 

    Tula-Tu is just like any other toddler. “She knows she’s the center of attention,” says Steve Lefave, who oversees the Oregon Zoo’s elephant care program, “She demands that.” At one year old, he says she is happy and healthy, “She’s just about at a thousand pounds. We’re not quite there, but we’re just about to cross that threshold, and that’s right on track for a calf at this age.”

    While Tula has captured the hearts of zoo visitors and millions of fans online, Lefave says she also changes the dynamic of her herd, with adult elephants helping to care for her. “The social dynamic is kind of a glue, if you will, that brings the herd a bit closer together. It can sometimes cause changes in relationships. So it’s just a very dynamic time for the herd.”

    Female elephants typically stay with their herd, so we’ll get to watch her mature. “We’ll see her continue to grow and become ‘Punkier,’ is the term that we use with young elephants – you know, they’ll get in trouble, they explore a lot of things; very curious,” says Lefave, laughing, “That trunk can get into a lot of places; it’ll get you into trouble sometimes.”

    Tula was an immediate sensation, following her 2025 birth. “Times are kind of odd and people are looking for something positive to pay attention to,” says Lefave. “She just brings joy to anybody, from a little kid to our elders, when they’re visiting. It’s nice to see that universal joy, if you will, come from this little life that’s running around.”

    The Oregon Zoo hosts a birthday celebration Sunday, from 9:30 to 4. Click HERE for more information. The first 500 guests receive a birthday gift from the Portland Fire WNBA team.

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    Heather Roberts

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  • Annual Squash Squishing Leads To Pulverized Pumpkins – KXL

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    Shine and Chendra chomp on pumpkin at the Oregon Zoo; Oct. 16, 2025.

    Portland, Ore. – Two massive elephants demolished two almost equally large pumpkins at the Oregon Zoo on Thursday. Portland third grader Lucy provides an eyewitness account, “I saw an elephant stomping on a pumpkin, and then they ate the pumpkins.” Those elephants were 42-year-old Asian elephant Sung-Surin (known as “Shine”) and 33-year-old Bornean elephant Chendra.

    “I think their tusks are short,” says Lucy, “So they can’t do that with their tusks. So they have to do it with their feet.” The gorgeous gourds they stomped were between 400 and 700 pounds. A 1,000 pumpkin was later pulverized by pachyderms Samudra and Samson. 

    The traditional Squishing of the Squash, now in its 26th year, is all about enrichment. “These two; the novelty of it is encouraging for these particular elephants,” says the Zoo’s Marcus Jason. “Dietarily, that’s way too much food for them,” he adds, “It’s kind of like our holiday feasts for them.” He says, “It will be eaten, and the rest of it will be discarded into our compost bin to be mixed up with the elephants will give back to us when they’re done eating; if you know what I’m saying.”

    Rose-Tu and baby Tula-Tu prepare to play with a regular sized pumpkin at the Oregon Zoo; Oct. 16, 2025.

    At just eight months old, baby Tula-Tu is too small to take part this year, but did play with a regular-sized pumpkin. Again, Lucy provides details, “It looked like it was playing soccer.” Jason says Tula-Tu’s mom then gobbled down the gourd, “You wouldn’t give your eight month old a giant steak to eat; it’s not healthy. And this much pumpkin is not healthy for the baby.”

    Pumpkins used in this year’s event were provided by Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers Club member Larry Nelson.

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    Heather Roberts

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