Taronga Western Plains Zoo’s Asian elephant calf Sabai turned two years old on the 2 November.

 
Sabai is growing into a very confident young calf and currently weighs just over 1000 kilograms. Sabai is still nursing from mum Thong Dee, but is also eating the same foods as the adults which includes a variety of tree branches, hay, fruit and vegetables. 

 
Sabai has recently been learning the morning bath routine which is something we do with the adult elephants every day. This is useful for building bonds and strong relationships with the keepers, which is extremely important for his development and healthcare. Sabai is very enthusiastic with his training and enjoys learning new behaviours.

 
Sabai spends his day with mum Thong Dee, Aunty Porntip and young cousin Kanlaya. The elephants are rotated into different paddocks every day, allowing Sabai time to interact with all the other elephants, including his dad Gung and older brother Luk Chai who is nine years old.

 
Sabai has recently taken on the role of big brother with Kanlaya who is just over four months old now. As Kanlaya is growing and gaining confidence, she is spending more time interacting and playing with Sabai. Sabai also likes interacting with our oldest elephant Burma who is 62 years old, and they will often spend hours chasing each other up and down the fence line during the day.

By Keeper Denise Ellery