Oregon Zoo elephant Tula-Tu turns 1 year old this weekend, and what a year it’s been! On her first trip around the sun, Tula has delighted fans around the world, sparking hope for her endangered species.
The zoo will be marking Tula’s birthday with a daylong celebration Feb. 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“Tula has been such an inspiration,” said Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo’s elephant care program. “From the very beginning, she’s been a symbol of hope and connection, for our community and beyond.”
Tula now tips the scales at close to a thousand pounds, about five times her birth weight. Keepers say she’s still nursing while also enjoying solid foods like fruit and alfalfa — though sometimes her favorite treats are the ones that are fun to play with.
Born Feb. 1, 2025, Rose-Tu’s baby became an overnight sensation, logging two appearances on NBC’s Today show in her first two weeks. In June, the playful pachyderm served as honorary grand marshal of the Rose Festival’s Grand Floral Parade, and inspired the award-winning Alaska Airlines float.
All that attention spells good news for Tula-Tu’s wild counterparts, experts say. “The more exposure people have,” University of Michigan professor Stephanie Preston said in a Forbes article about the young elephant, “the more likely they are to consider it important to conserve the spaces where the species live.”
Highly endangered in their range countries, Asian elephants are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans and disease. It’s estimated that just 40,000 to 50,000 of them remain in fragmented populations from India to Borneo, and their home range overlaps with some of the most populous human areas on the planet — 20% of people worldwide live in or next to Asian elephant habitat.
“Tula isn’t the only baby elephant we’re caring for,” Lefave noted. “In Borneo, which is home to the world’s smallest and rarest elephants, our partnership with the Wildlife Rescue Unit means more wildlife rangers are working to protect rescued calves and reunite them with their families.”
The Oregon Zoo is recognized worldwide for its elephant care program, which has spanned more than 60 years. It has established a $1 million endowment fund supporting Asian elephants, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ SAFE program to advance conservation across all 13 of the species’ range countries.
Beyond direct elephant care, the zoo collaborates with local partners in Borneo to create lasting conservation solutions, from replanting forests and stablishing protected corridors to fostering peaceful coexistence between elephants and communities.
Source: Oregon Zoo