At 9 months old, baby elephant Meru is creating abstract paintings with her trunk

There’s a new artist in town — and she’s painting without a brush.

Only nine months old, elephant calf Meru is officially Tucson’s newest Van Gogh, creating abstract paintings with her adorable little trunk.

“Picasso would be proud,” says Reid Park Zoo elephant zookeeper Brooke Majkowicz.

The paint sessions are part of Meru’s enrichment and training sessions, which are voluntary for the elephants and always done through positive reinforcement.

Trainings help staff evaluate the health and well-being of the elephants. For example, when Meru washes the paint off her trunk, she blows bubbles into water — which the medical team can then test for viruses. Staff will also gently place paint on Meru’s trunk, which helps her become more familiar with her trunk being touched.

When staff first introduced paint for 815-pound Meru, they blended it in with mud, allowing her to splash around and play with the canvas if she cared to. Occasionally, you’ll see a trunk print on the canvas, but it’s more about Meru’s enrichment and playtime than the artistry.

And Meru isn’t the only painter in the herd — all of the elephants are able to paint as a form of enrichment, something Majkowicz calls a fun recess.

“It provides them more variability in their day,” she says. “We’re able to take a breather from the denser side of training and just have fun.”

If you’re interested in taking home one of the paintings, the zoo's annual gala ZOOcson typically includes an auction featuring animal art each October.

“We’re at a stage now with Meru where we’re just finding what she’s finding fun and running with it,” Majkowicz says. “We see what she explores every day and we mold that into what we can with her training sessions.”

Meru was born on March 8 to mom Semba, joining 10-year-old sister Nandi, 4-year-old sister Penzi and allomother Lungile. In late October, Reid Park Zoo also introduced to the herd 16-year-old male elephant Tsavo, who made his way to Tucson from Florida.

Tsavo’s move was made on a recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ African Elephant Species Survival Plan, mimicking the natural behavior of male elephants to move between herds in the wild. The last time Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court, was home to a male elephant was in 2022 when Mabu — the father of Nandi, Penzi and Meru — moved to California.

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At first, Tsavo was introduced to the other elephants through two barriers, then only one. He’s now interacting with Lungile, Nandi and Penzi without any barriers.

Nandi and Penzi are big fans — on one occasion when Tsavo walked into the habitat, the two sisters ran up to him and put their trunks in his mouth to say hello.

Tsavo is still interacting with both Semba and Meru, though through a cable barrier. Majkowicz expects the cable to come down soon.

“Meru is the bravest elephant I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Majkowicz says. “She was the first one to say hello to Tsavo through the cables. She wastes no time; Tsavo is a friend. I’m really excited to see how they’ll be. He’s been very sweet and gentle with her too.”

For now, Meru is enjoying grapes and oranges (though she just sucks the juice out and spits out the rest), along with climbing on everything she can possibly climb on.

“She’s very loyal to climbing,” Majkowicz says. “We’ve given her the nickname ‘Mountain Goat’ since she was born. You can see her climbing on every single log in the habitat and a lot of the time you can see her perched on one of her balls. The ‘Mountain Goat’ name will probably stick forever.”

Majkowicz loves watching Meru climb — especially when she lets her rear legs dangle as she attempts to wiggle over a log.

“She’s just thriving and she’s been very very active and has really found her voice,” Majkowicz says. “When she plays in water, she tends to trumpet.”

Majkowicz has been at Reid Park Zoo for the last two years. She was previously a marine mammal trainer, but made the switch to zoos specifically for elephants.

“It’s their intelligence and how when it comes to training, their managed care is so progressive and constantly evolving. You’re learning new things about them, about training styles, about welfare, there’s always something to learn about them,” Majkowicz says.

“I knew zookeeping was in the cards for me and as you get more experience under your belt, elephants was a no brainer. They’re so smart and quirky and have so much personality.”