While the community celebrated Meru’s first birthday with cookies, the 925-pound elephant celebrated with a 50-gallon rainbow popsicle filled with layers of frozen fruits and veggies.
“(The party) had all her favorite things — food, her family and balls for her to play with and climb over,” says lead zookeeper Shelby Maerling. “I think most of our photos are of her climbing and having the time of her life.”
Meru was born at Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court, to African elephant Semba on March 8, 2024, joining an all-female herd of allomother Lungile and big sisters Nandi and Penzi. In October, 16-year-old male elephant Tsavo joined the herd.
“(Meru is) so confident. She’s always been confident but she’s really continued to blossom in that,” Maerling says. “She’s always felt comfortable adventuring and doing her own thing. She is very dialed-in and willing to problem-solve and figure things out. She is bold and confident, and I would say she’s often more patient than her sisters (when they were her age).”…