Niabi throws a party for Sophie and Babe, and raises funds for Lankan elephants

The 15th Annual Rhubarb Festival

COAL VALLEY - Niabi Zoo celebrated two huge birthdays Saturday, a tradition dating back more than four decades.

The zoo marked the 37th and 31st years of its Asian elephants, Sophie and Babe, with a celebration geared both to pachyderms and people. Niabi Zoo director Tom Stalf said the zoo has been honoring its elephants every July since 1964, when local favourite Kathy Sh-boom was first welcomed to the zoo.

Sophie and Babe were presented with wooden boxes dressed up to look like a birthday cake.

Inside the boxes was a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables for them to celebrate with. The zoo also had special games and events for their human guests.

"We're expecting over 1,000 people and we may have even surpassed that," Mr. Stalf said. "It's really a two-fold celebration. We're celebrating a birthday party and we also want to spread the message of elephant conservation."

Wildlife conservation groups estimate there are only about 30,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild, primarily in southern Asian nations like Sri Lanka. According to Mr. Stalf, the United States is home to only 200 Asian elephants, and Niabi houses the only two Asian elephants in Illinois.

The zoo donated all of Saturday's donations to elephant conservation and had several elephant-themed games for children to play, such as pin-the-trunk-on-the-elephant and an elephant ring toss. Maritza Lopez, 8, of East Moline, was enjoying making animal puppets at one activity station set up for the birthday bash.

"It's a tiger," she explained as she sought the perfect scrap of paper to glue to her puppet's face. She was enjoying a day at the zoo with her mother, sister and aunt, but was disappointed to learn she missed the presentation of the birthday cake to the elephants. Mirisa Lopez, 13, said the family had been out to the zoo before, but never for the elephant birthday party. "We're having a lot of fun," she said.