The Oregon Zoo Gives Elephants Giant Gourds to Squish

They may not be capable of carving jack-o'-lanterns, but even the elephants are getting into the Halloween spirit at the Oregon Zoo. The keepers host an annual Squishing of the Squash—and, knowing that a measly pumpkin won't satiate some of the largest land animals on Earth, they bring in the big gourds. These impressive crops clock in at over 1000 pounds, making them the ideal treats for elephants.

“I don't want to disappoint the elephants with a little pumpkin,” one pumpkin grower, Larry Nelson, told the zoo. (Nelson managed to grow an 1100-pound gourd especially for the elephants.)

Lovers of animals and messes can enjoy the festivities on Friday, October 30, at 10:30 a.m.

Kathy Street / Oregon Zoo

Shervin Hess / Oregon Zoo

Kathy Street / Oregon Zoo