Focus Taiwan
Date: 2019/08/06
By: Liang Pei-chi and Chi Jo-yao

Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) An elephant at Taipei Zoo pleasantly surprised zoo visitors last week by tossing back a hat that flew into its enclosure, but the zoo said Tuesday that the spectators were lucky because close interaction with elephants can be dangerous.

When the bucket hat worn by a mother visiting the zoo with her children was blown into the elephant enclosure, a female African elephant approached the object and grabbed it with its trunk.

As the children yelled "give it back" and "throw it," the elephant complied and flicked it back to them, according to a video posted on Facebook on July 31.

Identifying the elephant as 37-year-old Chien Hui (千惠), Taipei Zoo spokesman Eric Tsao (曹先紹) said Monday that elephants are intelligent and sensitive creatures, and Chien Hui is quite familiar with human voices because it often interacts with zookeepers.    [FULL  STORY]