A Day for Conservation and Education

On September 22nd, we celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day, a time to honor these remarkable creatures known for their intelligence, strong social bonds, and vital role in the ecosystem.

For those in the Springfield area, a trip to the Saint Louis Zoo offers the chance to visit the elephant exhibit, where you can learn more about these majestic animals. The River’s Edge habitat at the zoo is home to a herd of Asian elephants and provides a naturalistic environment for them to roam. The exhibit also educates visitors about the challenges elephants face in the wild, such as habitat loss and poaching, and highlights conservation efforts to protect their populations.

Elephants have long been admired for their incredible memory and emotional depth, which includes mourning their dead and celebrating the birth of calves. While these gentle giants are fascinating to observe, they also remind us of the importance of global conservation efforts. Elephant Appreciation Day encourages everyone to support initiatives that protect elephants and ensure their survival for generations to come.

In the Midwest, elephant conservation is supported through zoo-based programs and regional collaboration. The Saint Louis Zoo’s River’s Edge habitat immerses visitors in a naturalistic environment and integrates health care, enrichment, and breeding as part of its animal wellbeing initiatives. Accredited institutions across the region participate in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan (SSP), which works to maintain healthy, genetically diverse populations in human care to support long-term conservation.

Midwest zoos have also been at the forefront of elephant research and breeding. The Indianapolis Zoo achieved the first successful artificial insemination of an African elephant in 2000 and later received the AZA’s Edward H. Bean Population Sustainability Award for its contributions, including the birth of Jabari through assisted reproduction. Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo introduced six African elephants in 2016 and has since welcomed several calves, such as Eugenia, Sonny, and another born in 2023—highlighting ongoing breeding successes in a prominent regional facility.

Whether visiting a local zoo or supporting conservation organizations, Elephant Appreciation Day offers an opportunity to learn, reflect, and contribute to protecting these extraordinary animals for future generations.