Oregon Zoo's Elephant Calf Will Join This Year's Pumpkin Smash

By Bill LaMarche 

Portland, OR - Samudra, the elephant calf will join this year's Squishing of the Squash festivities.

Granted, Sam's pumpkin will be much smaller, but he'll join his mom and the rest of the herd when they receive pumpkins in the back elephant yard.

One of the zoo's male Asian elephants receives a HUGE pumpkin to celebrate Halloween, courtesy of the Wilson Family Farm.

Samudra, the elephant calf will join this year's Squishing of the Squash festivities. Granted, Sam's pumpkin will be much smaller, but he'll join his mom and the rest of the herd when they receive pumpkins in the back elephant yard.

One of the zoo's male Asian elephants receives a HUGE pumpkin to celebrate Halloween, courtesy of the Wilson Family Farm.

Watch a previous Squishing of the Squash: www.oregonzoo.org/VideoArchive/Elephant_squishingSquash.htm.

When: Friday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m.

Who: Asian elephant.

Where: Asian elephant exhibit at the zoo.

OREGON ZOO HOSTS HOWLIN' GOOD TIME
Animals and visitors receive treats during zoo's 'Howloween' celebration.

Trick-or-treaters can fill their bags with goodies and learn more about wildlife during the Oregon Zoo's annual "Howloween" event, scheduled for Oct. 25 and 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Howloween is presented by Sterling Savings Bank and sponsored by MomsLikeMe.com, 99.5 The Wolf and PDX TV. The event is free with zoo admission.

In keeping with the zoo's mission, Howloween aims to be educational as well as fun. An intriguing scavenger hunt directs trick-or-treaters to easily accessible activity stations throughout the zoo to collect candy or prizes. The activities are themed to dispel myths about animals -- as exemplified by that oft-heard phrase "blind as a bat."

"Kids of all ages can hunt for candy and prizes while in the company of some of the world's most exciting and exotic animals," said Tony Vecchio, zoo director. "When people visit the zoo, we hope they make a connection with the animals that promotes caring about their future."

On Saturday, Oct. 25, MomsLikeMe.com will be accepting gently used children's books for the Children's Book Bank, hoping to collect 500 books for children who might not otherwise have books of their own at home. A collection booth will be located in the zoo's entry plaza. For more information on the book drive, contact Jen Bolger at jbolger@gannett.com or 503-635-2933.

Throughout the weekend, visitors can watch the zoo's enrichment team provide animals with tasty holiday-themed treats:

Saturday, Oct. 25
- 1 p.m. - tigers receive a spider piñata

Sunday, Oct. 26
- 8:45 a.m. - black bears receive ice treats
- 10:30 a.m. - hippos receive ice treats
- 12 p.m. - sun bears receive ice treats

More Halloween-themed Events
"Pumpkin Prowl" showcasesamazing jack-o'-lanterns by some of the area's most skilled pumpkin carvers.Master carvers will give demonstrations the weekend of Oct. 25-26, and jack-o'-lanterns will be on display Oct. 25-31 at the Elephant Overlookduring regular zoo hours. Pumpkin Prowl, sponsored by KINK.fm and PDX TV, is free with zoo admission.

On Friday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m. the zoo celebrates the 10th birthday of its Amur tigers, Mikhail and Nicole, Guests sign a birthday card for the twins and watch the brother-and-sister pair receive a papier-mâché cake filled with tiger treats. To see a video of last year's celebration, visit www.oregonzoo.org/VideoArchive/TigerBdayHalloween.htm.

The zoo's polar bears will also celebrate Halloween. On Friday, Oct. 31, at 11 a.m., Conrad and Tasul will receive ice treats shaped like candy corn as a form of enrichment.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63.

Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.