10 Fun Facts About The Los Angeles Zoo's, Billy The Elephant

Living in Southern California and close to the LA Zoo, you might know Billy The Elephant. We are about 7 minutes from the LA Zoo and I couldn’t be more happy to support them annually with our family pass and we have certainly gotten our fair share of visits out of every year’s pass. The elephants are probably one of the most magical, elegant animals to see. Their size, their intelligence and the manner in which they move are all fun to take in.

We are huge fans of Billy’s in our home and we love saying hello to him and all the ladies that are around him.

What Is World Elephant Day?

“World Elephant Day was created in 2011 by two Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and Thailand’s Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and was first celebrated on August 12, 2012. The initiative was greatly supported by film star William Shatner who narrated the documentary Return to the Forest, a fascinating 30-minute film about the reintroduction of captive Asian elephants to the wild. Currently, the demand for ivory is the biggest in China, with the price of ivory often exceeding the price of gold, something that makes elephants bigger targets than ever. Habitation loss is also a danger to the world’s elephant population as it deprives elephants of the hundreds of pounds of food they need every day, making it more difficult for them to breed and making it easier for poachers to track them down. Circuses and tourism are also serious threats to the animals’ well-being. Luckily, an increasing number of both celebrities and politicians have become interested in the cause, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Ashley Judd and President Barack Obama.”

The best way to celebrate this day is to take the opportunity to educate yourself about these magnificent mammals and share your knowledge with others! The #LAZoo does a great job of educating the public on their Asian Elephants. And this one weekend only, the zoo opens their barn doors for the public to see!

Details for the LA Zoo’s World Elephant Day celebration are below…but check out these 10 facts about their lovable, Billy The Elephant!

10. Billy is 33 years old. He was born in 1985

More food in one day than I could probably eat in over a week!

9. He has lived at the LA Zoo since he was 4 years old.

8. Billy was born in Malaysia.

7. Billy (along with his lady counterparts) live in a 6.56 acre exhibit area at the LA Zoo. This amount of space exceeds the AZA guidelines is is one of the largest elephant exhibits in North America.

6. Billy lives with three lovely ladies, Tina, Jewel and Shaunzi.

5. The keepers and caregivers who tend to Billy have over 65 years of combined experience caring for him.

4. Billy’s home has 3+ acres of outdoor space, deep bathing pools, walking trials for him and a high tech barn.

3. Billy can drop up to 300 pounds of scat a day!

2. Billy gets regular pedicures. It’s pretty important for the keepers to inspect him and the others to help keep them in tip top shape.

1. Some of Billy’s favorite things to do for enrichment are; dipping in the pools, foraging for food, playing with fire hoses, street sweeper brushes and ginormous balls!

The L.A. Zoo is commemorating World Elephant Day (August 12) – an international spotlight on Asian and African elephants that spreads awareness of the urgent threat of their extinction – with a full weekend of opportunities for exploration, discovery, and fun on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Zoo’s World Elephant Day Celebration highlights the state-of-the-art Elephants of Asia habitat, with chances to learn about its four elephant residents and how they are cared for, through educational activities and exclusive behind-the-scenes barn tours, which are available to the public just once per year.

Activities Include:

• Barn tours led by elephant care staff and volunteers from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Education stations illustrating how elephants use their dexterous trunks; the differences between Asian and African elephants; and the art and science of elephant enrichment.