YANGON: To celebrate World Elephant Day, Yangon Zoo in Myanmar held a special event on Sunday with an educational booth near the Elephant Corner to raise awareness about the protection of these majestic animals.

Although World Elephant Day officially falls on a Monday, zoo officials began their educational activities on Sunday, a public holiday when the zoo usually sees the most visitors.

Dr. Tun Myint, chief veterinarian at Yangon Zoo, stressed on Sunday how important it is to protect elephants: “Since elephants are threatened with extinction, we take special care of them.”

“Elephants play a crucial role in maintaining the ecosystem, so we conduct awareness programs to help protect them,” he said, adding that in some countries there are no elephants at all, making efforts to protect them all the more important.

“We are proud to preserve biodiversity by caring for elephants,” added Tun Myint.

Yangon Zoo is home to four elephants. Among them, Mo Mo, the oldest Asian elephant, continues to win the hearts of visitors. Mo Mo came to Yangon Zoo in 1961 at the age of about seven and is now nearly 71 years old. Her longevity and vitality have made her an icon of the zoo, admired by generations of visitors, zoo authorities said.

When visitors are asked about elephants and World Elephant Day, they often tell personal stories about Mo Mo.

Daw Ohmar Htay, 39, was one of those visitors on Sunday. She stood near the elephant enclosure and called out Mo Mo’s name, eager to identify the elephant she remembered from her childhood. After several attempts, she pointed to one of the elephants and guessed it was Mo Mo.

Daw Ohmar remembers: “When I was here for the first time, when I was about eight years old, I fed them sugar cane. Now I am here for the second time and I am accompanying my daughter.”

She noted that it has been over 30 years since she last saw Mo Mo. “I love her because she is smart,” Daw Ohmar said, adding that she is convinced Mo Mo understands human language and responds when she calls her name.

Ten-year-old Antt Htoo Myat, who has visited Yangon Zoo about eight times, expressed a special affection for Mo Mo. “Mo Mo is like my friend. Every time I come here, I meet Mo Mo,” he said.

Antt’s love for elephants goes beyond the zoo. He has also seen elephants in his grandfather’s village and has pictures of elephants at home. “I actually want the elephants to be in the wild so they can roam freely,” he says, explaining that his affection for elephants began at a young age.

Antt also wants to share his love of elephants with others. “I want to save money so that I can go see the elephants with my friends,” he says. “Most of my friends don’t like elephants, but I think they will learn to love them when they meet Mo Mo and the others.”

Aung Win Thaung, a senior elephant keeper at the zoo who has worked there for over a decade, spoke of his deep connection with Mo Mo. “I love elephants. I have been interested in them since I was a child,” he said.

“Now I am taking care of Mo Mo. Mo Mo and I are like family because we have been together for many years. I am also proud to take care of Mo Mo because she is smart and intelligent. She is a flagship of the Yangon Zoo,” said Aung Win.

August 12 is World Elephant Day, an annual international event to raise awareness of the urgent plight of Asian and African elephants. – Bernama, Xinhua