Is Downward Facing Dog your thing? Do you thrill to Salute the Sun? If yoga is your go-to passion, consider the elephant. The yoga-trained elephant. Seems zoos across the nation have concerns about the deleterious effort of no exercise on their elephants’ health, and are turning to yoga to improve both health and longevity.
At the Houston Zoo, for example, Elephant Supervisor Kristin Windle can assess the flexibility, energy, and skin condition of the 12 Asian elephants in her care through yoga moves. Her charges start young—about four months. With each successful move, treats are provided: bananas, bread, raisins, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe. By the time the elephants are 2-years-old, they can do the elephant version of yoga poses just on voice cues and pointing. Yoga sessions are conducted 3 times a day, lasting from 30 seconds to 5 minutes. If an elephant is not in the mood, just like at Kendal, he or she can just walk away. Usually, however, they’re enthusiastic yoga practitioners.
Curious about elephant yoga? Click the button below for a training taste of it.
Contributed by Steve Price via Jane Hart