The Planckendael ZOO organizes an anniversary weekend for the most famous elephant

Sunday, May 17, 2009, 8:40: the whole country is in excitement and at the height of excitement at the birth of the first Belgian elephant.
This little wonder immediately capsizes all hearts.
A moment of unique ecstasy, with one of the most striking live broadcasts of the time.
Time passes.
Three years later, the little elephant moved and joined with her whole family a new big enclosure at ZOO Planckendael. Last year, she became a mother, giving birth to Tun Kai.
The birth of Kai-Mook launched the corridor project in India.
The Antwerp ZOO and the Planckendael ZOO are helping animals in their habitat.
To keep the attention on elephants and Kai-Mook alive, the Planckendael ZOO is celebrating the entire weekend of May 17th, 18th and 19th.
Admission is free, during these three days, for all children who, like Kai-Mook, have or will be 10 years old this year (born in 2009).

Healer Cédric: "I often remember the best moment of my life as an elephant healer: when baby Kai-Mook straightened up on his feet just after he was born, and immediately started sucking on his mom! It was a huge relief, it was so beautiful to see! "

Anniversary weekend
In addition, elephants will receive a birthday cake every day of the weekend.
See you this 3 days at 15:00 at the elephant lodge!
You can deposit birthday cards or drawings at the shop of ZOO Planckendael.
They will be used to decorate the temple of elephants.

Anja, Sales Manager: "We involved the audience as if we were all family, and we allowed them to follow the story from beginning to end, from pregnancy to live birth, and the best moment for me was this miracle of nature, the birth itself, it was such an emotion, it is only afterwards that we realize the unifying impact of this event on Belgium. "

Breeding group in Planckendael
Planckendael plays an active role in the international Asian elephant breeding program under threat.
The Elephant Temple is home to a family of females with babies and a breeding male.
Male Kanvar recently left Antwerp ZOO to settle at Planckendael ZOO.
He is the future dad for generations to come.

Threatened elephants here and in India
Since the birth of Kai-Mook in 2009, the Antwerp ZOO and the Planckendael ZOO have been supporting the Asian Nature Conservation Foundation (ANCF) corridors project in India.
In the valley of Thirunelli in the south of India, the man and the elephant dispute the same lands: the men want to live there and to cultivate cereals there, the elephants want to cross these lands without being disturbed to join their congeners .
In the south of India, the ANCF has corridors (passages) exclusively for elephants.
They also intervene against poachers, try to drive elephants away from villages, and offer people more land to cultivate elsewhere.
. The harmony between man and animal is thus somewhat restored.

Linda, zoological director, after a visit to India: "It is great to be able to restore a forest path to elephants so that they are no longer in direct contact, and usually conflictual, with humans, during their natural migrations! in K Development Plan, we were able to provide direct support to Kerala elephants. "

Impressive numbers:
- 1.2 million visitors on the website
- 60,000 people watched at the same time the live event of the birth
- contest to choose a name: 7,500 sendings
- 4.4 million announcement cards sent all over Belgium
- 173.675 euros for the K development project in India
- 18 June 2012: move of the elephant family to Planckendael
- January 13, 2018: Kai-Mook becomes the mother of Tun-Kai at ZOO Planckendael
- May 17, 2019: Kai-Mook is 10 years old. Happy Birthday !

For further information, please contact: www.ZOOplanckendael.be