What a year it's been for baby Zuri -- first steps, first teeth, first solid foods.
And don't forget her first "trumpet," an extremely elephant-ish thing to do.
This petite pachyderm blasted her first soft sounds when she was only about 2 months old, just one of many milestones since her birth in August of 2009 at Utah's Hogle Zoo.
As Zuri celebrates her first birthday, we offer a look back through her baby book of memories.
Zuri arrived at 1:15 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, 2009 -- weighing in at 251 pounds. She was walking within a half-hour of her birth, says elephant keeper Eric Peterson at Hogle Zoo, and nursing successfully by the next day.
The first African elephant ever born at the zoo, Zuri is the offspring of Christie, then 23, of Hogle Zoo, and father Jackson, of the Pittsburgh Zoo. The pregnancy occurred via artificial insemination.
Zuri with mom at about 2 weeks
All photos, unless otherwise credited, by JAMESON WESTON/Utah's Hogle Zoo
Christie is a protective and attentive mother, Peterson says, and Zuri is a bold baby who loves to explore -- under Mom's watchful eye. "It's easy to not be fearful of things when you've got 7,500 pounds to back you up," the keeper says.
Zuri, at about 3 1/2 months, with her ball
Balls are one of Zuri's favorite play toys -- and the bigger, the better. She likes to put her feet on top of the ball and then try to roll her body over on it -- often getting high-centered, Peterson says. She has even been caught napping in that awkward position.
Zuri, at almost 7 months, climbs over a drum
Zuri's personality is "full throttle" -- no "in-between speeds," Peterson says. "She goes and goes and goes -- and the next thing you know, she's sleeping."
Some of her favorite activities include running, climbing, playing with boxes and buckets, and chasing magpies.
Zuri, 11 1/2 months, gets a bath
Running through the sprinklers and rolling in the wading pool are hits. Zuri also enjoys baths, but as soon as she's finished she hits the dirt: "She's no different than any other kid -- she loves the mud," her keeper says.
ZURI'S MILESTONES
* Teething: Zuri got her first tooth in October, at about 2 months old. Elephants have a total of four teeth; all of Zuri's have now come in.
* Tusks: No sign of them yet, but they may start breaking through in the next six to eight months, says elephant keeper Eric Peterson of Utah's Hogle Zoo. A type of incisor, the tusks will start as small nubs and grow throughout Zuri's life.
* Trunk: The 1-year-old is gaining dexterity with her trunk, such as picking up grapes or other objects, according to her blog (www.babyzuriblog.com). She can now suck up water with her trunk and squirt it into her mouth, Peterson says.
* Growth: Born at 36 inches tall, Zuri now stands 48 inches high. She's averaging about one inch per month, and she is gaining about 1.7 pounds per day.
When she was about 4 1/2 months old, she had doubled her birth weight; in May, she weighed 692 pounds. By her Aug. 10 birthday, she was 884 pounds.
Hitting the 1,000-pound mark will be a big milestone, Peterson says -- although Zuri is still small compared with mom Christie, who weighs 7,500 pounds.
* Supper time: Zuri is still nursing, and may do so for another couple of years, Peterson says. But she also eats hay and loves training rewards including bread, grapes, bananas, apples ... even fruit juice. Like any toddler, she can be finicky: "Some days she loves strawberries ... and the next day she's not too keen on strawberries," Peterson says.
* Noises: The elephant makes tiny trumpeting sounds, Peterson says, and also communicates with her mother through low-frequency rumblings.
* Training: Utah's baby elephant started "school" in January, and has so far learned to move toward a target -- a long stick with a ball on the end -- turn around, stretch out on her belly, hold out her ears or trunk, and open her mouth. All of these actions help keepers examine the elephants to keep them healthy, Peterson says.
WANT TO GIVE ZURI A GIFT?
What do you get an 884-pound baby elephant for her birthday?
A sandbox was on Zuri's "wish list," along with some large balls and a bungee pull-toy. Zoo keepers will fill the sandbox with water for some splash time for the 1-year-old African elephant.
Or Zuri might just tromp on the thing -- she can be hard on toys.
The birthday wish list was created to allow folks to provide various enrichment activities for Zuri throughout the year. Other suggestions are water pans and tubs -- Zuri likes to wrestle with them -- and a sparring tube, for some head-butting. Peppermint extract, too, because elephants have a good sense of smell and enjoy exploring various scents.
Or how about a flat-screen TV, so Zuri can chill with some nature videos or music?
"It's not 'The Price is Right,' it's not 'Sesame Street,' it's just that there's something (new) there making different sounds and sights and colors," and that is mentally stimulating for the elephants, says keeper Eric Peterson.
Items range from $10 to $475; to see the list, visit www.babyzuriblog.com.
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