Louisville Zoo to celebrate birthdays of 2 animals on Jan. 7

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Zoo is celebrating the birthdays of two of its more iconic animals this Saturday.

According to a news release, the zoo will celebrate Punch the elephant's 53rd birthday, as well as polar bear Qannik's 12th birthday.

The public is invited to both celebrations on Saturday, Jan. 7. Punch's party will take place at 1:30 p.m. in the zoo's "Africa Zone," and it will be followed by Qannik's celebration at the "Glacier Run" exhibit at 2:15 p.m.

As part of the celebrations, the public is invited to sing "Happy Birthday" to the animals, which will each get special treats.

Punch arrived at the Louisville Zoo on Nov. 28, 1973. She came from Southwicks Zoo in Massachusetts when she was roughly three years old. She was born in the wild so her exact birth date not known.

Qannik was found on Alaska's North Slope in 2011 separated from her mother and sibling. When she failed to reunite with the other bears, she was rescued by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, underweight and without vital skills to survive on her own. Since then, she's been housed at the Louisville Zoo's Glacier Run exhibit. Her exact date of birth is not known.