
- This event has passed.
Asian Elephant Punch’s 55th Birthday Celebration
January 25, 2025 @ 11:30 am - 12:00 pm

FREE with Zoo admission or membership
The Louisville Zoo will celebrate our very own Asian elephant Punch as she reaches an amazing milestone of 55 years!
This year’s celebration carries extra significance since it will Punch’s last birthday at the Zoo before she and African elephant Mikki move to the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, later in 2025.
Zoo guests will be invited to sing “Happy Birthday” to Punch while she receives special celebratory enrichment items and treats. Elephant Punch was wild born and her exact birth date is only estimated.
Punch’s 55th will be a “Red Hat Society” birthday to celebrate “Fun, Fitness and Friendship at 55!” Zoo keepers will create special enrichment themed after the iconic red hats. The Zoo also encourages guests to wear their own red hats in honor of Punch’s final birthday at the Zoo before she goes on her new adventure. Red is an appropriate color for Punch as Asian elephants are considered endangered on The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species
Anyone wearing a red hat for Punch will receive a $1 discount at the Zoo’s admission windows. This offer is valid in person only and can not be combined with other discounts.
Or you can participate in our annual Wild Winter Days discount presented by Kroger. Guests who bring at least one non-perishable food item per person for Dare to Care may purchase discounted tickets at the Zoo ticket windows for $10.50 per adult and $7.50 per child or senior. Twenty-five cents of every admission ticket will also support the Zoo’s conservation efforts.
Want to help elephants?
Use the Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping App; purchase FSC-certified wood and paper products; and buy food and other items from local and small businesses.
ABOUT PUNCH AND ELEPHANTS: Asian elephant Punch arrived at the Louisville Zoo on November 28, 1973, at approximately 3 years old, from Southwick’s Zoo in Massachusetts. Punch was wild born, so her exact birthdate is estimated. She enjoys playing with her boomer ball and eating squash.
Elephant population is in decline mainly caused by habitat loss, human elephant conflict and poaching. You can help elephants like Punch by using Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping App, purchasing FSC-certified wood and paper products, and by buying food and other items from local and small businesses.
Located on 3,060 acres in Hohenwald, Tennessee, The Elephant Sanctuary is the nation’s largest natural-habitat refuge developed specifically for Asian and African elephants. Founded in 1995, The Sanctuary has provided 33 elephants with individualized care, the companionship of a herd, and the opportunity to live out their lives in a safe haven dedicated to their well-being. The Sanctuary is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and has been dually recognized through accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. The Elephant Sanctuary is currently home to 12 elephant residents.