Ramat Gan Safari elephant celebrates 46th birthday
Born on August 11, 1974, Yossi was a small baby elephant who grow up to mighty size, reaching the impressive height of 3.8 meters (12.46 feet) and weighing 7 tons.
By DANIEL NISINMANUpdated: AUGUST 11, 2020 22:26Elephant (illustrative).(photo credit: REUTERS)
The Zoological Center Tel Aviv-Ramat Gan, also known as the Safari Ramat Gan, proudly celebrated birthday to one of the oldest zoo elephants in the world, according to a statement by the center.The elephant, nicknamed "Yossi" (Joseph), celebrated his 46th birthday on Tuesday. Yossi the elephant was actually the first elephant to be born in the Ramat Gan Safari, just months after the safari opened to visitors.Born on August 11, 1974, the day before the World Elephant Day, which is held annually on August 12, Yossi was a small baby elephant who grow up to mighty size, reaching the impressive height of 3.8 meters (12.46 feet) and weighing 7 tons.Yossi's mother's Bahati, who is 59 years old and still lives in the Safari, is considered to be the oldest female elephant in European zoos. Yossi's father, Timbu, is no longer alive.The birthday celebration on Tuesday included lots of fun treats for the big animal. The courtyard where Yossi usually roams was decorated with vegetables, leaves, sugar cane and carob.Elephants are considered to be an endangered species due to overhunting. Elephants in the wild are being hunted for their tusks, which are used to produce ivory. World Elephant Day is meant to raise awareness of the dire situation.The Israeli elephant produced 19 offspring since he reached maturity.
