Project Elephant Base Camp

On Tuesday, 2nd September 2025, Tara gave birth to a healthy female calf named Zaiya. The moment marks a significant milestone for the zoo, as it represents the culmination of years of planning and collaboration across multiple sectors and marks the beginning of another chapter in our continued commitment to the Asian elephant herd at Blackpool Zoo. This achievement further reinforces our dedication to the conservation of all endangered species worldwide.

Project Elephant Base Camp represents the single biggest investment in the history of Blackpool Zoo. The state-of-the-art facility, which opened in March 2018, has been specially designed around the complex welfare needs of the mammoth species. The indoor area is now the largest in the UK, with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities, while the outdoor area comprises of sanded areas, a bathing pool and a landscaped grass paddock.

Base Camp is home to Kate, who has been at Blackpool Zoo since 1972, and her 5 companions, females Tara, her newborn female calf, Zaiya, Minbu, Noorjahan & Esha, and bull elephant Emmett.

Base Camp sits at the heart of our brand new concept in animal care, Project Elephant, which will open your eyes to the future of zoos and in-situ conservation programmes working together to preserve our most iconic species. It is our commitment to securing a future for Asian elephants. Base Camp is at the heart of every aspect of Project Elephant. It is here where our visitors will experience a sense of adventure and discovery as they are taken on a journey through Asia that will lead them to the beginning of something much bigger. It is from Base Camp that visitors will learn and be inspired and it is from Base Camp that we provide world-class care for our herd, carry out vital research and continue to advance and develop the work of Project Elephant.

You can find out more about Project Elephant on our dedicated website - here.