The elephants know how to pick up water and spray themselves down. They do this to cool themselves down. Our elephant team have slightly modified that natural behaviour to allow us to do the spray paintings.
Elephants are natural artists. They are well known to doodle in the dirt with sticks. Ele Art is a stunning by-product of Perth Zoo’s enrichment program for elephants. Our enrichment program involves a wide array of behavioural and physical activities that keep our elephants stimulated and their days varied and interesting, with painting being one of their enrichment activities. All of our enrichment programs are assessed by veterinary teams and zoologists using an animal welfare framework.
The paints used are animal friendly and are 100% non-toxic. Each piece is an original and no two pieces are ever the same. Each elephant has their own painting ‘signature’, painting with their own distinctive style.
Where does the funding go?
Funds raised from the sale of each masterpiece helps Perth Zoo protect one of the last remaining herds of Sumatran Elephants in the world within the Bukit Tigapuluh Ecosystem.
