PREVIEW

Have you ever wondered how elephants sleep?

Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm, a zoo and conservation organisation in North Somerset, has shared captivating night-time CCTV footage of their elephants as they prepare to sleep. The video provides a glimpse into the nocturnal behaviours of 18-year-old Janu and 9-year-old Sutton. It shows Janu lying on his side while Sutton, the younger of the two, playfully attempts to engage him and snuggle up as closely as possible. The charming interaction was a delightful observation for the zookeepers at Noah’s Ark, aiding in their study of elephant behaviours.

Tom Lindley, the Elephant Section Leader, sheds light on their elephant sleep habits, stating, "Elephants sleep for around 4-6 hours a night on average, but they won't sleep for a whole night in one go like humans do. They tend to sleep for between 1-2 hours in one stint, then get up and move around a little, before going down for their next bout of sleep which is almost always on their opposite side. This is because elephants are such large and heavy animals that if they spend too long lying on one side, it can cause pressure build-up on their internal organs."

Lindley further explains Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm’s innovative approach to elephant comfort, "Here at the zoo, we've incorporated deep sand mounds as sleeping platforms for our elephants. This not only alleviates pressure on all four feet but also facilitates their movement, allowing them to rise effortlessly when they want to, unlike flat surfaces."

Highlighting the zoo's commitment to animal welfare, Lindley continued, "Our elephants always have nocturnal access to the outdoors, never confined within the barn. Each elephant can freely roam the sand and grass paddocks at their leisure."

Elephant Eden has four African bull elephants - it recently welcomed their latest, 13-year-old Uli from Magdeburg, Germany. Uli has joined 32-year-old Shaka, 18-year-old Janu, and 9-year-old Sutton.