İzmir Wildlife Park witnessed exciting moments once again. İzmir, the first elephant born in Turkey and whose name was determined by the votes of the citizens as a result of the survey, celebrated his 14th birthday. On this special day, İzmir ate a cake prepared for him with pumpkins and fruits.
There was a birthday celebration at the Izmir Natural Life Park affiliated with the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. The 14th birthday of Izmir, the daughter of Begumcan and Winner, who live in the park that hosts the only elephant family in Turkey and the first elephant to be born in Turkey, was celebrated. Izmir, who was also attended by her siblings Deniz and Ege, ate a cake made of pumpkin, apple, carrot and clover with great appetite. Visitors to the park also joined this unique celebration with applause.
“Izmir is very important to us”
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Secretary General Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay, who attended the celebrations, said that they were very excited. Okyay said, “We are excited. Our İzmir is the first Asian elephant born in Turkey. We are celebrating the birthday of one of the most beautiful girls of the elephant family, which is the first and only one in Turkey. İzmir is very important to us. She is an extremely docile girl. She lives in the same environment with her mother and siblings. We are very happy. It is a beautiful moment. We are waiting for everyone to see this beautiful elephant family at İzmir Natural Life Park.”
Foot care is very important
The elephant family's feet and nails are periodically taken care of. Again, on this special day, the Izmir elephant's feet were taken care of by Veterinarian Gözde Budak Taşçı. Taşçı said, "We meticulously take care of their feet two days a week. Elephants get most diseases from their feet. That's why we pay special attention to foot care."
“It is a wonderful event that such a baby is born in Izmir”
Yaren Büyükmumcu, who came to the Natural Life Park for İzmir's birthday, also stated that she was among those who participated in the name poll conducted when İzmir the elephant was born. Büyükmumcu said, "I had an old computer at the time and I voted for it. The name İzmir suited him very well. I wanted to come today because it was his birthday. Some people may find it strange to celebrate animals' birthdays, but I think it is a very nice event. Because I remember İzmir's birth was a big event. Elephants are in danger of extinction. Therefore, the birth of such a baby in İzmir is a very nice event. I find it worth celebrating."
“I came for Izmir’s birthday”
Another visitor, Yamaç İnak, also emphasized that he has three dogs and celebrates their birthdays every year, but this was the first time he attended an elephant's birthday party. İnak stated that he had a great day and said, "I came to celebrate Fil İzmir's birthday. It was a very nice memory for me. I had never attended an elephant's birthday celebration before. He was also very excited."
The cake was cut
After eating his cake, Elephant Izmir quickly ran towards the area where his father Winner was located, drawing attention. As part of the program, park employees cut a cake with the words "Our first love Izmir, Happy Birthday" written on it. Turkey's first elephant family, consisting of "Begümcan", "Winner" and their babies "Izmir", "Deniz" and "Ege", continues their lives in Izmir Wildlife Park.
