Elephant family herd celebrated on awareness day

5 hours ago

Tanya GuptaSouth East

News image — Three generations are represented in the elephant herd at Howletts Wild Animal Park

Howletts Wild Animal Park Adult African elephant Manzi walks across a grassy slope while younger elephant Oku follows closely behind. Trees and open parkland can be seen in the background. — Three generations are represented in the elephant herd at Howletts Wild Animal Park

A herd of 12 African elephants at a Kent wildlife park will be in the spotlight on World Elephant Day, as people are asked to support and protect the animals.

Howletts Wild Animal Park, near Canterbury, is home to what it describes as the UK's largest herd of African elephants, with the animals spanning three generations of the same family.

The park recently announced the herd would remain in Kent permanently, following international efforts to identify a suitable rewilding project in Africa.

The decision has prompted plans by the Howletts Wild Animal Trust to invest in a new purpose-built elephant house, expanded outdoor habitats and improvements to educational and conservation facilities.

Tony Kelly, managing director at Howletts, said it was the "most significant investment in the history of our elephant programme".

He said the development reflected the park's long-term commitment to the welfare of "this incredible herd".

The family includes younger elephants Nguvu and Oku, both six, and Nusu, seven, who live alongside their mothers and other family members.

Howletts Wild Animal Park African elephants Nusu and Manzi stand face to face in their enclosure, touching trunks and tusks. Their heads fill most of the image with trees visible behind them. — Nusu and Manzi are among the 12 elephants in the Kent herd

The trust said a planning application had already been submitted to Canterbury City Council for a new elephant house and associated facilities.

The scheme includes the elephant house, outdoor habitat, pools, places to wallow, dusting areas, outdoor shelters and indoor sand areas, which have all been designed by the park's animal team.

Howletts Wild Animal Park Young African elephant Oku walks through an enclosure carrying a long branch in its trunk. Fencing, grass and trees are visible in the background. — Oku is one of the younger elephants in the family herd at Howletts

World Elephant Day, which takes place on Wednesday, is an international awareness day highlighting the challenges facing African and Asian elephants in captivity and the wild, and supporting conservation efforts around the world.

It was founded in 2012 by Canadian Patricia Sims and Thailand's Elephant Reintroduction Foundation.

Activities are set to take place at Howletts throughout Elephant Week, which runs from 10 to 16 August.

Howletts Wild Animal Park African elephant Uzuri walks across an enclosure while two younger elephants stand behind near fencing and animal housing. — The herd will remain together at the Kent wildlife park

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