A baby elephant with gray skin, large ears, small tusks, extending its trunk forward possibly eating or holding something green, standing on dirt ground in an outdoor enclosure surrounded by trees and some greenery. 2:07
ZooBorns channel icon ZooBornsOriginal creator 4.9K views Save

A 20-foot Christmas forest for a baby elephant

Team leader Stefan Groeneveld says the keepers at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo wanted this baby elephant's first Christmas to be fit for a queen. more

The phrase fits. Her name is Nang Phaya, from the Thai word for queen, chosen in honor of Queen Elizabeth II, who once fed bananas to her mom, Donna, on a visit to the zoo. Nang Phaya is a three-month-old Asian elephant, and she lives with Donna, her grandma Kaylee and the rest of the herd.

So the keepers set up a surprise. They built a forest of Christmas trees 20 feet high, donated by The Christmas Tree Place in Berkhamsted. Nang Phaya comes up to it carefully at first.

Two elephants stand close together, and one raises its trunk toward a tree with green leaves. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
At first Nang Phaya comes up to the trees slowly, with family close beside her.

She does not hold back for long. She follows her mom and the herd into the trees, and soon she is helping herself to the prickly branches under her feet.

Her trunk does the work, picking the branches up with real skill. That's good practice for a calf this young. Baby elephants learn to forage over time, and a floor covered in Christmas tree branches gives her plenty to work with.

A baby elephant with gray skin, large ears, small tusks, extending its trunk forward possibly eating or holding something green, standing on dirt ground in an outdoor enclosure surrounded by trees and some greenery. The headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Team leader Stefan Groeneveld says the keepers at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo wanted this baby elephant's first Christmas to be fit for a queen.

Donna, Kaylee and the others love the treat just as much. The whole herd wanders among the trees, snacking as they go.

Asian elephants are endangered, according to the IUCN Red List. Between snacks, the family stands close together, with the baby tucked in among the grown-ups.

Two adult elephants and a baby elephant stand close together near green branches and hay. A headline runs in white letters across the lower third.Save
Nang Phaya stays close to the grown-ups while the herd enjoys the trees.

A viewer admitted to having no idea elephants ate Christmas trees. Nang Phaya, at three months old, has already worked that out.

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