Lucas, above, celebrates his 5th birthday with fruits and vegetables at the Toledo Zoo. Jeff Dinnebeil, the zoo’s executive chef, and senior sous chef Eloisa Beltran carry a tray of goodies into the elephants’ exhibit area for Lucas’ birthday, below left. Zoo visitors watch the celebration. Adult elephants may eat 200 to 600 pounds of vegetation per day.
Males can reach a height of 10 to 13 feet and weigh up to 13,000 pounds. After he was born, the baby pachyderm was named Lucas in a naming contest held by zoo officials. More than 3,000 of the 8,000 people who cast votes in the contest favored the name, which honors the longtime support of Lucas County voters. It was one of three choices — the others being Chuck, for the first animal donated to the zoo in 1900, a woodchuck; and Iain, after the African elephant conservationist, Iain Douglas-Hamilton.
IN PICTURES: Lucas the elephant turns 5
First Published June 5, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
