Oregon Zoo Elephants Squish Squash For the 23rd Year In A Row

PORTLAND, OR — With apologies to Billy Corgan, this is what smashing pumpkins is all about. For the 23rd year in a row, the Oregon Zoo hosted their "Squishing of the Squash." Because of COVID-19 safe distancing mandates still in place, the zoo couldn't allow visitors.

"Everything looks a little different for us this year, but the elephants didn’t seem to mind," senior keeper Dimas Dominguez said. "They got one 650-pound pumpkin and a couple more pretty big ones to play with. First, they destroy them, then they enjoy them."

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The tradition started in 1999 when the elephants received the gift of an 828 pound pumpkin from a farm in Canby. Playing with pumpkins is a way to help enrich the elephants' lives, zoo officials said.

Animal enrichment has long been a focus at the zoo. They hosted the first animal enrichment conference almost 30 years ago.

The pulverizing of the pumpkins is a precursor to the zoo's annual Halloween celebration, where kids can arrive in costume and experience the zoo and enjoy educational activities. It takes place this weekend and next.