(JP)Ueno Zoo debuts elephant duo presented by Thailand

October 29, 2002

Ueno Zoo debuts elephant duo presented by Thailand

A pair of young Asian elephants sent from Thailand's

Surin Province as a gift to celebrate the birth of

Princess Aiko made their first public appearance

Tuesday at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.

The elephants -- a 5-year-old male named Artid and a

4-year-old female named Authi -- were also given to

mark the Surin provincial government's gratitude to a

Japanese nongovernmental organization for its 20 years

of involvement in tree-planting efforts there.

In a ceremony attended by delegates from both

countries, zoo director Hiroshi Sugaya expressed hope

the pair will produce offspring, as breeding by Asian

elephants in Japan is rare.

The elephants came to Japan on Oct. 11 with two male

trainers. The pachyderms are being trained in Thai by

the trainers, who are expected to leave Japan next

week.

A zoo worker expressed hope to someday train the

elephants in Japanese.

The elephants' arrival marks the first time local

authorities in Thailand have presented elephants to

Japan. In 1965, the Thai royal family presented a male

elephant to commemorate a 1964 visit to the country by

then Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko, the

current Emperor and Empress.

It died at Ueno Zoo last week. The zoo also has two

female Asian elephants given by India.

Princess Aiko, the first child of Crown Prince

Naruhito and Princess Masako, was born Dec. 1.

The Japan Times: Oct. 30, 2002

- We Remember

9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost

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