Tulsa Zoo 'Elebration' Set For Labor Day Weekend

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OKLAHOMA -- The Tulsa Zoo is ready for a big "Elebration" this weekend.

What they are "Elebrating" is a more than 50 years of commitment to elephant conservation.

Mayor Dewey Bartlett proclaimed this coming Saturday and Sunday, September 4th and 5th 2010, a special weekend.

"September 4th and 5th as Elebration, a celebration of Elephants in the City of Tulsa," he said.

And they'll use the occasion to celebrate Gunda's 60th birthday. She's been at the Tulsa Zoo since 1954, making her the senior resident of the zoo and one of the oldest Asian elephants in the country.

In honor of upcoming event the mayor gave Gunda a special treat.

A limited number of zoo guests can get a behind-the-scenes tour of the enclosure with exhibits that highlight diet and daily care of Gunda and her friends. The weekend will also includes special demonstrations and sweet treats for everyone

There's more to celebrate too. Asha one of two females here from Oklahoma City is pregnant. The baby elephant's due in the spring.