Take a Swim with the Oregon Zoo's Elephants

Two of the Oregon Zoo’s resident elephants took a dip in their pool, and video posted on Thursday, May 25, takes people into the water with them.Sumadra, 8, was the first third-generation elephant born in the United States. His name is Sanskrit for “ocean,” which comes from his love of water.Chendra, the only Borneo elephant in North America, was rescued after she was found wandering near a palm oil plantation. A wound she had in her left eye left her blind. Malaysian wildlife officials worked to find her a home, and she came to the zoo in 1999. She helped raise Sumadra and his little sister, Lily, who is 4.The Borneo elephant population has been reduced to around 2,000 in the wild due in part to deforestation. The Oregon Zoo, in partnership with the Woodland Park Zoo and the Houston Zoo, is funding research into and mitigation of human-elephant conflicts in Borneo.