Rosamond Gifford Zoo to Host Annual Asian Elephant Extravaganza on on August 17, 2025

The Rosamond Gifford Zoo invites the community to Asian Elephant Extravaganza on Sunday, August 17, 2025 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. This annual event celebrates the Rosamond Gifford Zoo’s Asian elephant herd and the cultural traditions of their native countries in South Asia. Asian Elephant Extravaganza is FREE for members or included with zoo admission.

Attendees will enjoy traditional Indian music and dance performances, a gamelan (Indonesian orchestra) performance, and multiple demonstrations with our astounding Asian elephant herd, featuring the zoo’s famous miracle eletwins, Yaad and Tukada. Led by the zoo’s elephant care team, the demonstrations offer exciting and exclusive looks at the specialized care the elephants receive at the zoo, such as elephant yoga, painting enrichment, foot care/training, watermelon smash, and more. The herd’s matriarch and oldest elephant, Siri, will celebrate her 58th birthday at the event with a specially made cake.

Asian Elephant Extravaganza is a beloved tradition that celebrates the elephants and the rich culture of their native habitats. Elephants are embedded into the history of Rosamond Gifford Zoo, a proud and nationally recognized leader of elephant care and conservation. The zoo invites the whole community to share in this amazing elephant experience.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by CNY Arts. For more information, visit rosamondgiffordzoo.org.

Schedule below (subject to change):

10 a.m. - Dance Arts Advocates: Walking with Elephants | Courtyard

10:30 a.m. - Elephants do Yoga | Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve

11 a.m. - Tabla Performance | Courtyard  

11:30 a.m. - Members of our Herd will Paint at Overlook | Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve 

11:30 a.m. - Anjani Dance Academy | Courtyard

Noon - Dance Arts Advocates: Walking with Elephants | Courtyard ; Siri celebrates her Birthday with Cake | Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve

1:30 p.m. - Tabla Perforamance | Courtyard

2 p.m. - Creature Chat – Spotlight on elephant foot care and training |  Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve     

2:30 p.m. - Elephant Watermelon Smash | Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve

3 p.m. - Honeybees & Elephants – Keeper & Beekeeper Chat | Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve 

Nusantara Arts of Music Gamelan Music Performance will occur at the Courtyard Gazebo throughout the day.