Australian Elephant Blessed By Buddhist Monks

February 25, 2010

Author: Staff Writer

Source: The New York Times

Wire Service: AP

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/25/world/AP-AS-Australia-Baby-Elephant.html?_r=2

Mali the baby elephant played with a red rubber ball as three Buddhist monks splashed her face with water Thursday in blessing ceremony for the Melbourne Zoo's newest star.

The calf, just under six weeks old, is the second elephant born in Australia and has become the main attraction at the zoo since her Feb. 10 debut.

The Thai Buddhist monks hummed and chanted as Mali played with the ball and ran circles around her mother, Dokkoon, who was brought over from Thailand in November 2006 as part of a program facilitated by the Thai government.