Asian elephant
Did you know?
Elephas maximus
Asian elephants can eat up to 300 pounds of food in one day! That tends to wear out your teeth, so elephants have six sets of teeth that slowly grow and move from the back to the front of their mouth.
Meet our elephant
Habitat
Wild and Zoo
Asian elephants stand 7-12 feet high, weighing up to 14,000 pounds! They live in forests and grassy plains in India, Indochina, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and China. Find our elephant in the Asian Forest Sanctuary.
Asian Forest Sanctuary
Meet the Keepers
A trunkful of stories.
Our elephant keepers give talks daily near the habitat. Ask them questions – they love it!
Suki's Secrets to a Long Life
Caring for Elephants
It's what we do.
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium keepers and veterinarians are experts at providing the highest quality of care for our elderly Asian female elephant Suki.
Elephant Care
Meet Suki
Suki
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Caring for an elderly elephant
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Our keepers and veterinarians provide the highest quality of care for Suki.
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Elephant Manager Shannon Smith has cared for Suki since she arrived here in the mid-1990s.
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Daily routine
Includes treats.
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Our elephant helps by presenting her feet for inspection and cleaning, lifting her trunk and other behaviors that allow staff to identify any medical issues.
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Suki also participates in routine exercise and enrichment, and regularly receives treats like watermelons.
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A safe home
For a long life.
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As an AZA-accredited zoo, we meet high standards of elephant care. We were a leader in pioneering the protected – or restricted – contact and positive reinforcement in elephant care.
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We are committed to providing the highest quality of care to Suki throughout her lifetime.
This is her home and always will be.
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Protecting Elephants
Killed for their tusks.
THE THREAT: Asian elephants are endangered in the wild. As a result of human poaching for their ivory tusks, as well as loss of their habitat due to human encroachment, their numbers are dwindling.
TAKE ACTION: Never buy wildlife products – especially ivory. Support laws that stop wildlife trafficking and catch poachers. This will help other species too, like rhinos, tigers and sharks.
Animal Stories
Who's nearby?
Love our elephant? Then look for our tigers! They’re just nearby, rotating with other animals through the habitats of the Asian Forest Sanctuary.