- November 28, 2024
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"She can do a lot of things," 6-year-old Ada Oler said while stroking the elephant's nose. "The only thing she can't do is win a staring contest."
Ellie, the traveling empathy-building animatronic elephant, blinks every 10 seconds or so, making Oler the reigning staring contest champ.
But the elephant wasn't there to win, she was there to teach Ormond Beach kids about how they can help animals suffering in the circus. A part of PETA Kids, Ellie teaches young people to have empathy and respect for all living beings — an important lesson to learn when children are faced with bullies. The presentation was given to the kids at Enviro Camp July 26 at the Environmental Discovery Center.
"This is our Into the Wild week, and we're teaching kids about endangered speices, and different animals," said Siobhan Daly, cultural center coordinator at The Casements. "It's important that we teach them how to be good stewards of the environment, and to learn what it is that animals really want."