Seeing an Elephant is a Dream Come True for 87-Year-Old Woman

Kay Day, an 87-year-old UK woman adores elephants. But Day,  who suffers from dementia, rarely leaves her nursing home room and hasn’t seen a real elephant for a really long time. Until now.

Day is so passionate about elephants, according to the BBC that her room is decorated with elephant photos and toys. Day dreamed of seeing an elephant up close again and never thought it would happen.

Planning the Whipsnade Zoo excursion
On Wednesday, August 9, 2023, Day’s dreams became a reality after her nursing home, the Blakelands Lodge care home in Marston Moretaine took her on a special excursion to the Whipsnade Zoo, reported the Bedfordshire Live.

The home fundraised to be able to fulfill Day’s dream. "Kay doesn’t join in many activities and tends to spend quite a lot of time alone,” said  Carla Blakelands , the Lodge activities manager.

“So when we sat and discussed wishes and found out she would love to see an elephant we as a home discussed different options[and] originally [it] was just going to be a visit to a zoo to see the animals and elephants, but when we found the Elephant Experience at Whipsnade and contacted them about our resident we said it's got to happen to make her dream come true!”

Visiting the elephants
Day was so excited about going to the zoo that she marked off the days on her elephant-themed calendar. Day’s carers and family came along on the trip to assist and to watch her experience this exciting day.

Since the Whipsnade Zoo is a conservation zoo that is working to protect wildlife as well as  connect people with nature, the staff runs a lot of programs including various animal experiences and “Be a Keeper” days, reported BBC.

Day was able to pet and feed the Asian elephants and she said that the elephants’ trunks are her favorite part of the massive animals. “It's such a wonderful feeling to have an elephant take some food out of your hand, put it in his trunk, curl it up and put it in his mouth,” she told BBC.

Day expressed her gratitude to the people who organized the trip and said it was one of the best days of her life. “I could sit here forever with an elephant sitting by my side, she said.

Elephant keeper My Eriksson said that the zoo was honored to have played a roll in making Day’s dream come true and that it was amazing to meet someone who is as passionate about elephants as the zookeepers at Whipsnade Zoo.

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