Celebrity Elephants Cool Off at the Beach
- 14 years ago
Two unexpected and very large celebrities turned up at a local Japanese beach on Wednesday, hoping to cool off from the summer heatwave. Let’s take a look.
These two unexpected celebrities showed up at a beach in Japan on Wednesday, joining the masses who were cooling off from the summer heat.
Sauntering past the curious crowds with their 2.5 and 1.3 ton bodies, thirty-two year-old Mickey and his two-year-old friend Yumeka (pronounced Yoo-meh-kah) headed for Katsu-ura Kaichu (pronounced Katsoo-oorah kah-ee-choo) beach, seemingly eager to hit the waves.
The two Asian elephants from the nearby Ichihara Elephant Kingdom are part of an annual event here that combines humans, pachyderms (pron pa-ka-derms), surf, sand and sea.
Some members were given the VIP treatment, allowing them to get up close and personal with the large mammals.
"Elephants are the ones who are enjoying this the most. It is best when elephants themselves can have fun. Also the (paying) members are within the ropes and playing with the elephants directly."
However, it wasn’t just the elephants who were having fun.
While temperatures in Japan were not as high as in India or Thailand, the dip was a relief from the heat wave that has claimed over 200 lives in the last three weeks, according to Jiji news agency.
For the humans at the beach, the cool ocean waves certainly looked enticing.
"I think I should have brought my bathing suit. It would have been so much fun if I could have gone in the ocean with the elephants."
Others were just happy to see the elephants splash about in the surf.
"I was really excited. It made me happy that the elephants are at the beach and not at the zoo."
The elephants finished their day at the beach with a bit of painting to raise funds for their facilities back at the zoo. Paintings on t-shirts done by Yumeka, the more artistic of the two, fetched as much as $100.
These two unexpected celebrities showed up at a beach in Japan on Wednesday, joining the masses who were cooling off from the summer heat.
Sauntering past the curious crowds with their 2.5 and 1.3 ton bodies, thirty-two year-old Mickey and his two-year-old friend Yumeka (pronounced Yoo-meh-kah) headed for Katsu-ura Kaichu (pronounced Katsoo-oorah kah-ee-choo) beach, seemingly eager to hit the waves.
The two Asian elephants from the nearby Ichihara Elephant Kingdom are part of an annual event here that combines humans, pachyderms (pron pa-ka-derms), surf, sand and sea.
Some members were given the VIP treatment, allowing them to get up close and personal with the large mammals.
"Elephants are the ones who are enjoying this the most. It is best when elephants themselves can have fun. Also the (paying) members are within the ropes and playing with the elephants directly."
However, it wasn’t just the elephants who were having fun.
While temperatures in Japan were not as high as in India or Thailand, the dip was a relief from the heat wave that has claimed over 200 lives in the last three weeks, according to Jiji news agency.
For the humans at the beach, the cool ocean waves certainly looked enticing.
"I think I should have brought my bathing suit. It would have been so much fun if I could have gone in the ocean with the elephants."
Others were just happy to see the elephants splash about in the surf.
"I was really excited. It made me happy that the elephants are at the beach and not at the zoo."
The elephants finished their day at the beach with a bit of painting to raise funds for their facilities back at the zoo. Paintings on t-shirts done by Yumeka, the more artistic of the two, fetched as much as $100.