Today marks the 50th birthday of an Oregon celebrity,Packy the Asian elephant was born to parents Thonglaw and Belle,April 14,1962. The first few weeks of his life he was known as Fuzzy Face until a naming contest came up with Packy (a play on pachyderm).
Packy was the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in 44 years,and his birth marked a turning point for captive elephant breeding programs. Twenty eight calves have been born at the Oregon Zoo since 1962,Packy has sired seven calves.
Packy has been a favorite at the zoo for decades,he is the largest Asian elephant in the U.S.-10 feet 6 inches tall and about 13,500 pounds,at birth he weighed a mere 225 pounds. He is also the oldest male Asian elephant in North America at this time.
I remember when he was born.
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