Elephants Keep Fit With Daily Stretches

If you made a New Year's resolution to get fit this year, let the elephants at the ABQ BioPark be your inspiration to keep your goal. Each day, the elephants complete a series of leg lifts and back stretches, keeping their muscles limber and their minds engaged.

A sweet treat to celebrate a goal is a strong motivator for many of us, and elephants are no exception. After a successful series of knee bends, toe touches and trunk lifts, zookeepers reward the elephants with carrots, apples, melons and a hearty serving of hay.

"All the training we do with the elephants is proactive for their healthcare," said Rhonda Saiers, head elephant zookeeper. "All the elephant keepers are very health-oriented. We each have our own workout routines and began developing a routine for the elephants based on stretches that we use ourselves."

Zookeepers at the ABQ BioPark Zoo began practicing daily elephant exercises six years ago and since then, many other institutions have adopted the routines. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums uses video from BioPark to train new elephant keepers. Occasionally, keepers add new exercises to the routine. For example, Albert, a 13-year-old bull, recently mastered the trunk wave.

Training happens throughout the day, with exercise at a different time each day. An irregular schedule keeps each day exciting and new for the elephants. Swing by the elephant exhibit or watch from Asia Train Station and you just might get to see Albert practice his knee bends.