Osh the elephant appears to be content under the care of keepers at the Oakland Zoo. So content, at times, that he purrs like a kitten.
The accompanying footage was shared via social media Sunday by the California zoo, along with the description:
“Maple & Willow aren’t the only ones with impressive purrs… here’s Osh making some sounds of satisfaction while enjoying his afternoon beet pulp snack.”
Maple & Willow aren’t the only ones with impressive purrs…here’s Osh making some sounds of satisfaction while enjoying his afternoon beet pulp snack 😋
📹: Keeper Marisa pic.twitter.com/YrPj86FK1t
— Oakland Zoo (@oakzoo) December 17, 2023
Elephant purrs are among the social animals’ many communicative skills. They also make rumbling sounds and louder trumpeting calls.
Osh was born in 1994 and the African elephant has a substantial following among zoo regulars.
Maple and Willow are mountain lions kittens that ended up at the zoo after their mother was killed last month by a vehicle strike on a Northern California highway.