PACHYDERM PARTY. Tula-Tu’s playful pachyderm party included elephant-sized toys and special cake. One of the birthday girl’s new toys — a new ball — was from the Portland Fire, Portland’s new WNBA team. (Photo/Michael Durham, courtesy of Oregon Zoo)

From The Asian Reporter, V36, #2 (February 2, 2026), page 18.

Tula-Tu celebrates her first birthday

Tula-Tu celebrated her first birthday over the weekend. The one-year-old Asian elephant calf celebrated with a playful pachyderm party on Sunday, February 1.

The nearly half-ton toddler’s birthday party featured a brand-new ball from the Portland Fire, a keeper talk, a special layer cake, and a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" by zoo guests and staff.

The special layer cake made by the elephant care staff was made with some of Tula’s favorite foods. "It was full of crunchy lettuce, apples, and sweet potatoes, and they used coconut milk to frost the outside," said Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo’s elephant care program. "In the end, it weighed over 25 pounds!"

Although Tula-Tu now weighs in at just under 1,000 pounds, her cake was made for sharing, so the entire elephant family — including her mom Rose-Tu and her dad Samson — enjoyed some of the birthday treat.

During Tula first year of life, she has delighted fans around the world — and sparking some hope for her endangered species.

Born February 1, 2025, Rose-Tu’s baby became an overnight sensation, logging two appearances on NBC’s "Today" show in her first two weeks. In June, the playful pachyderm served as honorary grand marshal of the Portland Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade and inspired the award-winning Alaska Airlines float.

All that attention spells good news for Tula-Tu’s wild counterparts, experts say.

"The more exposure people have," University of Michigan professor Stephanie Preston said in a Forbes article about the young elephant, "the more likely they are to consider it important to conserve the spaces where the species live."

Highly endangered in their range countries, Asian elephants are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans, and disease. It’s estimated that just 40,000 to 50,000 of them remain in fragmented populations from India to Borneo, and their home range overlaps with some of the most populous human areas on the planet — 20% of people worldwide live in or next to Asian elephant habitat.

"Tula isn’t the only baby elephant we’re caring for," Lefave noted. "In Borneo, which is home to the world’s smallest and rarest elephants, our partnership with the Wildlife Rescue Unit means more wildlife rangers are working to protect rescued calves and reunite them with their families."

The Oregon Zoo is recognized worldwide for its elephant care program, which has spanned more than 60 years. It has established a $1 million endowment fund supporting Asian elephants, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ SAFE program to advance conservation across all 13 of the species’ range countries. Beyond direct elephant care, the zoo collaborates with local partners in Borneo to create lasting conservation solutions.

To learn more about Tula-Tu and her family who resides at the Oregon Zoo, or to purchase tickets, call (503) 226-1561 or visit <www.oregonzoo.org>.