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Elephant Appreciation Day

Elephants are a keystone species, meaning that they have a significant impact on the health of the ecosystem around them. Elephants are seed dispersers, play an important role in nutrient cycling and are crucial in clearing pathways and thickets. As a result, elephants are nature's gardeners: they help to distribute seeds and clear old growth, allowing for new life to flourish.

To celebrate their important role, September 22nd has been designated Elephant Appreciation Day. The goals of this celebration are to highlight elephant awareness and conservation through fun activities, games and conversations.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Elephant Appreciation Day was a joint effort between the elephant care team, zoo educators and other staff members. Activities included an elephant coloring mask, a trunk game which used a specially designed trunk (similar in size to a newborn elephant's trunk) to teach visitors about elephant adaptations, a target-training game and several interactive displays. Overall, the event was a huge success - inspiring 1,700 visitors to care for elephants and elephant conservation!