Ringling Bros.® Celebrates Elephant Appreciation Day by sharing elephant fun facts, photos, videos and #elphies (elephant selfies) to elephant lovers everywhere from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Center for Elephant Conservation

ELLENTON, Fla., Sept. 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Elephant Appreciation Day on September 22, Ringling Bros. is celebrating with elephant lovers everywhere by sharing the best elephant content from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation^® (CEC), a 200-acre, state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the conservation, breeding and understanding of these amazing animals. Elephant Appreciation Day is a very important holiday founded by pachyderm lover Wayne Hepburn in 1996, and Ringling Bros. is proud to join the festivities!

Media, bloggers and fans can download and share special Elephant Appreciation Day content on http://www.elephantcenter.com/about-us/elephant-appreciation-day/ .

With 26 births, and counting, of the Asian elephant at Ringling Bros. CEC, Mike the newest calf born June 27, 2013 will steal the show this Elephant Appreciation Day with cute-post-worthy videos of the young elephant having fun with mud, sand piles, balls, logs and of course playtime with his mom. 

And because you can't have a buzz-worthy holiday without a great 'selfie' or the right photo to share with your friends and followers. The Ringling Bros. staff caring for these animals around-the-clock are lucky to see epic elephant moments daily, and are excited to share their Top Elephant Photos, including the very first #Elphie (elephant selfie) taken at Ringling Bros. CEC.   

The Asian elephant is an endangered species, with fewer than 35,000 alive in the world today, so it is important elephant lovers learn all they can about these special animals. As part of the Elephant Appreciation Day festivities, we have provided an EleFun-Facts infographic to easily share special information about the endangered species.

"It's important that people continue to talk about these magnificent animals and bring awareness, they are endangered and we are the only ones that can make a difference," says Janice Aria, director of animal stewardship for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. "Our staff and trainers get to appreciate these animals daily, but I'm glad they have a special day where people all over the world can appreciate them."

Ringling Bros. cares for the largest herd of Asian elephants in the Western Hemisphere with 44 elephants, and has more than 144 years of experience and expertise working with elephants. Ringling Bros. CEC is home to most of these elephants: retirees, calves and their mothers, male elephants and elephants that might not prefer the circus life.

The Asian elephant has been living and working with humans for thousands of years. More than one-third of the remaining Asian elephants in the world interact closely with humans in different places and ways, such as circuses, zoos, agricultural and logging industries, religious ceremonies and eco-tourism.

About Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation

Ringling Bros. is a world leader in the care and conservation of the endangered Asian elephant. In 1995, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation^®, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the reproduction, research and retirement of Asian elephants, was created on a 200-acre site in Florida. Information on the Center is available online at www.elephantcenter.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140908/143909
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140908/143910

SOURCE Ringling Bros.