AssetID: 53152659
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Smashing Pumpkins! Oregon Elephants Take Part In 'Squishing Of The Squash' Tradition
Caption: Smashing Pumpkins! Oregon Elephants Take Part In 'Squishing Of The Squash' Tradition. Some of the world's largest land animals took part in a unique spectacle as they demolished colossal pumpkins at the Oregon Zoo's 25th annual Squishing of the Squash event. ”We provided our elephant family with some exceptionally large pumpkins to stomp on and munch," revealed Steve Lefave, the overseer of the zoo's Asian elephant enclosure. ”They first obliterated them and then relished the tasty remains," he added. The three elephants, Chendra, Rose-Tu and Sung-Surin, certainly seemed to enjoy themselves! The origins of this tradition trace back to 1999 when Hoffman's Dairy Garden of Canby bestowed an award-winning 828-pound pumpkin to the elephant family. Local farmers often contributed excess pumpkins to support the zoo's pioneering animal enrichment initiatives. This year's mammoth pumpkins, ranging from approximately 500 to 700 pounds were generously supplied by Larry Nelson and his daughter, Amanda Gilmour, members of the Pacific Giant Vegetable Growers Club. In a world where wild Asian elephants confront threats from habitat loss, conflicts with humans, and diseases, their population has dwindled to a mere 40,000 to 50,000 individuals.
Keywords: Smashing,Pumpkins,Oregon,Elephants,Squishing,Squash,Tradition,Halloween,animals,demolished,colossal,huge,stomp,munch,zoo,Asian,elephant,enjoy,animal,mammoth,threats,habitat,loss,population
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