‘Pumpkin soccer’ and baby rhino wow crowd at Chester Zoo

Nov 4 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

CHESTER Zoo’s latest arrival made his first public appearance yesterday to crowds who had just witnessed the elephants enjoying their own – late – Hallowe’en celebration.

Yesterday was the first time the zoo had allowed members of the public to see the baby black rhino, just five days old.

The Eastern Black Rhinoceros calf is still trying to find its feet and following its 10-year-old mum Kitani around, and visitors were urged to keep quiet and not alarm the new arrival.

But the calf, who is the first Black Rhino to be born at the zoo in 10 years and the first newborn for its mother, was a huge hit with many visitors who had just come from seeing the elephants playing with a mound of pumpkins donated by the Hollies Farm Shop in Tarporley.

This was an unusual spectacle but one which drew crowds of amused onlookers, as the herd of elephants were seen almost “playing football” with pumpkins before munching on them.

Eveline de Wolf, team leader for elephants at the zoo, said: “The elephants like the pumpkins because they’re very sugary and sweet-tasting so they’re quite fond of them.

“The little ones also like playing with them, like footballing and kicking them around. The pumpkins are like balls for them.

“The little ones, certainly, are very playful and here in Chester we have three little babies so they can play with each other, which is very good for them.

‘‘They’re like little children and like to have fun.”

The elephants at Chester Zoo range from two years old to around 52 (no-one knows the exact age). Crowds lined the elephant enclosure watching the massive animals enjoying the dozens of pumpkins, smashing them, kicking them and eating them.

Kevin Buley, Chester Zoo’s head of zoo programmes, said: “Throughout the year, the elephants and rhinos enjoy a very carefully-balanced diet designed to keep them in the very best of health.

“Additional treats such as this pumpkin mountain provide an unusual diversion that will help stimulate interest and excitement in them. I’m sure they’ll have a smashing time getting to grips with the pumpkin delights that await them.”

Mindy Cowap, of The Hollies Farm Shop, added: “We are delighted to donate our leftover pumpkins to help with the enrichment of the elephants and rhinos at Chester Zoo.

“This year we have harvested more than 4,000 pumpkins, which have been part of our special ‘holloween’ display – one of the largest in Cheshire.

“They have brought some eerie excitement to our customers and we hope they can do the same for these magnificent animals.”

liammurphy