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A Little Pequi Fruit Snack for Kenya

November 17, 2025

Kenya has been enticed by all things green since she was first introduced to her new home at Elephant Sanctuary Brazil. The habitat has a variety of trees, bushes, and grasses that meet her specific needs, and she seems to be gleefully knocking things around, snacking on downed limbs, branches, and vines, and making herself at home–which is exactly what we hoped for.

There are pequi trees at the sanctuary that are native to the Brazilian cerrado. There are a number of these trees in the Asian habitat, but the elephants there use them for shade, not snacks. The birds love them, and the fruit is also popular among people in the region, often making its way into refreshing beverages and rice dishes. Humans can cook the fruit to remove their hairlike spikes, but those pointy parts don’t bother the animals who eat them, or Kenya, as you can see here. She’s the first elephant at the sanctuary that we know has tasted them, and we’d say it went well. 

The pequis in the African habitat are just starting to fruit, and lots of animals who call sanctuary home enjoy it throughout the season. In this video, Kenya picks two of the fruits that are just beginning to ripen from the tree and eats them. She will have more of this type of tree once the expansion is complete (and Yard 4 is getting close). In the meantime, there are still plenty in her current three yards to provide her with the snacks she desires. 

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Comments(11)

  1. REPLY
    Barbara L Smith says
    November 17, 2025 at 2:06 pm

    Kenya is tasting all the produce in her new beautiful home.🐘🌱❤️

  2. REPLY
    Ada says
    November 17, 2025 at 3:42 pm

    Look at her reaching out for them! Glad she found something else she enjoys eating at her home🥰

  3. REPLY
    Sue says
    November 17, 2025 at 3:58 pm

    It never ceases to amaze me how they instinctively know to try out different things for food!!! ❤️🐘❤️

  4. REPLY
    Doe Fowler says
    November 17, 2025 at 4:11 pm

    Wonderful! So happy to see Kenyasita. I wonder if the fruit is similar to the Marula in South Africa? Do Brazilians ferment the pequi fruit into beverages?

    • REPLY
      Sara says
      November 17, 2025 at 4:27 pm

      We know that pequi fruit is made into probiotic beverages, yes.

      • Bonnie says
        November 18, 2025 at 1:12 am

        Kenya is such a lady what a cutie but all the girls are cutie patooties

  5. REPLY
    Wim says
    November 17, 2025 at 5:08 pm

    Cheers. The only way is up, Kenya. Very well done.

  6. REPLY
    Johnny says
    November 17, 2025 at 7:11 pm

    Ahhh…. the simple pleasures of an elephant’s life!

  7. REPLY
    Elizabeth says
    November 17, 2025 at 9:14 pm

    In the first shot, she looks exactly like the elephant from your logo.

  8. REPLY
    Alida says
    November 17, 2025 at 9:28 pm

    Kenya and her big beautiful African ears, she is exploring her new digs, enjoy it Kenyacita, te amo! 🐘💕

  9. REPLY
    Joey says
    November 17, 2025 at 9:43 pm

    I love seeing beautiful Kenya browsing in her new home with so much pleasure. I’m glad she has that long trunk to reach the fruit, too. She knows how to get to the good stuff, doesn’t she? Love you, Kenya. Keep reaching for the best life has to offer you, lovely lady, everything will be OK.

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