The anniversary celebration will take place next Saturday 24th August.

Everything is ready for Petita the elephant, one of the most popular and loved animals at Terra Natura Benidorm, to celebrate her 52nd birthday. The celebration will take place on Saturday 24th August at 11 am. The affection of the visitors for this elephant translates into a gathering that brings together more than 4,000 people every year, who come to this celebration to accompany this animal, who was rejected by her herd because she did not have the canons of beauty of the species, on this special day.

In Petita’s honour, the Hindu Holi festival will once again be held in the Asia area, next to the two elephant meadows that cover an area of 18,000 square metres and an area of ponds for the animals to bathe and refresh themselves. This elephant is getting closer and closer to senescence, as pachyderms usually live to be around 60 years old. As the years go by, she gets older and needs specific care.

For this reason, the team of veterinarians and zoo keepers keep a daily care protocol, enrichment activities, veterinary check-ups, among other actions aimed at preserving their health. Every day, the elephant’s weight, dentition, legs, eyes, digestive tract and state of mind are checked. On the other hand, a balanced and varied diet with easily digestible food such as feed, fodder, fruit and vegetables is given to avoid possible intestinal obstructions.

The holi festival will start with a Hindu entertainment group that will welcome visitors in the entrance, with traditional music and dances. Visitors will be able to wear the bindi or tidak on their foreheads, which according to Hindu culture symbolises wisdom. The gathering will continue in the amphitheatre, where the bird of prey show takes place. Once finished, we will go to the elephant meadows to offer fruits and vegetables to Petita, and to her companion Kaiso who will stay with her.

After tasting her dessert made from fresh fruits and vegetables, the song ‘Happy Birthday’ will be sung to the elephant to continue the celebration in the Namastepur village, where the Holi festival will take place. More than 320 kilos of pigmented powders, 3,500 bottles of coloured water and 10 sprays of coloured powder will be launched in the air.

Petita, a story of friendship and self-improvement

When Petita arrived at Terra Natura Benidorm in 2004, she was discriminated against by her herd, as she was considered ugly by her peers due to her thinness and according to the established canons of this species. In the eyes of her companions, this thinness made her a physically unattractive specimen. However, thanks to the help of her inseparable companion, Kaiso, the elephant overcame this initial rejection and was finally accepted by the herd until she was fully integrated.

Conservation of the species

Asian elephants are in danger of conservation and for this reason they are part of the Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP), promoted by the EAZA. Thanks to the work of this association, a reproductive programme has been established to ensure the genetic viability of the species in captivity and guarantee the sustainability of the ex situ population.

Terra Natura Benidorm is participating in the preparation of an international study on the welfare of elephants, which analyses the diet followed by the four female elephants that live in the zoo, the body morphology of each specimen and the evolution of the weight they have experienced over the last few years. This scientific study aims to establish a control pattern to measure the body condition of the pachyderms.

From this nature and animal park, conservation is understood as a set of actions that seek to safeguard and increase the survival of endangered animal species (IUCN), either through actions directed towards populations kept in captivity ‘ex situ’ or those within their own natural habitats ‘in situ’.