Anjalee and Burma enjoyed playing in the sunshine at Auckland Zoo yesterday ahead of World Elephant Day, first celebrated in 2012 to draw attention to the threats to pachyderms in their natural habitats of Africa and Asia through poaching, "pest control" and habitat loss.
In Sri Lanka, the birthplace of Anjalee (Burma was born in Myanmar 38 years ago), wild elephant populations dwindled to less than 2500 animals by 1969. Through conservation efforts and the establishment of the Pinnawala orphanage for young and injured elephants, numbers had increased to over 5000 by 2011.
Auckland Zoo supports conservation efforts through direct funding, such as GPS collars for the Centre of Conservation and Research in Sri Lanka and with the very successful Schools Awareness Programme that educates children in the value of elephants and the threats they face in their natural environments.
![Photo / Michael Craig](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/N27ASZNP7FV3FZUN565ABS3ITA.jpg?auth=0bb345f5bfad4c6fb9fa66d42562fd4039f823a46dd58aef78a4061569b41215&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)