Jumbos feast on papayas, pumpkins on Elephant Appreciation Day eve

Jumbos houses at Elephant Conservation and Care Centre in Mathura, a sanctuary for rescued elephants, on Saturday woke up to a feast of fruits as the world geared to mark the Elephant Appreciation Day on Sunday.

Wildlife SOS, Delhi based animal conservation organisation, observed the special occasion by organising a massive fruit feast for its resident pachyderms at the Mathura sanctuary.

The entire herd consisting of female elephants namely Emma, Maya, Phoolkali, Chanchal, Bijli and Laxmi, and male elephants Sanjay and Suraj, gorged on the ‘jumbo’ fruit feast.

The spread of watermelons, papayas, sugarcane, bananas and pumpkins was a delightful treat for the resident pachyderms, making their day even more special.

Every year on September 22, the world comes together to celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day, dedicated to acknowledge and cherish the magnificent mammals who are an integral part of nature.

Wildlife SOS is marking the occasion with its global virtual event the ‘Ele Earth Walk’ and a grand fruit feast for resident elephants at its sanctuary in Mathura.

Around Elephant Appreciation Day, Wildlife SOS has kicked off its virtual event the ‘Ele Earth Walk.’

NGO leaders said the initiative started on September 20 and will go on until October 7, 2024.

‘Ele Earth Walk’ encourages participants to walk, advocating against riding elephants while reducing their carbon footprint, and improving their health. The event aims to raise funds for rescued elephants at Wildlife SOS.

"People of all ages are encouraged to participate, and since it is a virtual race, the event presents a chance for participants to connect with wildlife supporters worldwide," said Geeta Seshamani, Co-founder and Secretary.

She said all elephants at the Mathura sanctuary have been rescued from a traumatic past and now remain under the organisation's long-term care.

“Our caregivers and staff put in a lot of time and hard work to prepare such a grand fruit feast for the elephants,” she said.

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO, Wildlife SOS said, “One of the core ideas behind Elephant Earth Walk is that walking should be a right of passage for all wild animals. Elephants being the largest land animal on the planet, they definitely have a claim to that right. The Ele Earth Walk initiative is our way to spread more awareness about that right.”