In brief
On Sunday, Yangon Zoo marked the milestone birthday of 73‑year‑old elephant Momo, with visitors singing, the elephant feasting, and personal testimonies from children and elders reminiscing past visits.
Momo, the 73‑year‑old Asian elephant at Yangon Zoological Gardens, was the star of a Sunday celebration that drew visitors of all ages to the zoo this week.
The zoo held a birthday ceremony that included children and parents singing “Happy Birthday,” which Momo answered by gently swaying her trunk and moving her legs, seemed to join in the joyful tune.
She then chomped on an assortment of fruits and vegetables arranged in the shape of a cake, as reported by Xinhua.
For some attendees, it was their first time seeing the gentle giant, while others recalled fond childhood memories of visiting Momo, passing those stories to their own children and grandchildren, the report noted.
Thuta Nyan Kywal, 11, told reporters that she had only seen elephants in textbooks before, but “now I can see them in real life and learn how they behave and what they eat,” she said, adding, “I wish Momo a long and healthy life. Happy birthday, Momo!”
"I have known Momo since I was young and used to visit her at the zoo. Seeing her brings back so many childhood memories," said Thida Soe, 60.
Thida Soe added, "Although Momo is an animal, people treat her like a human being and celebrate her birthday. She is very gentle. She has changed as she has grown older and cannot be as active as she once was, but she has lived to 73. Not everyone, even among humans, gets to live that long," she said.
Than Myint Tun, warden of Yangon Zoological Gardens, explained that Momo was donated to the zoo in 1961 and grew from a performing elephant into a grandmother figure and one of its most recognizable residents.
During her younger years she entertained visitors with performances and dances and even took part in national events such as the opening ceremony of the Shwedagon Pagoda stairway, he said.
Momo stopped performing in 2013 when she turned sixty and has since been celebrated at the zoo each year for her birthday, he added. She now turns 73.
