Whipsnade Zoo’s playful pachyderm Picasso has been causing a stampede in the international art world as her latest abstract masterpiece has been put on eBay.
Proceeds from the sale of the painting – by Asian elephant Karishma – will go towards helping Asian elephants in the wild.
The 14-year-old animal, who only picked up a paintbrush for the first time last year, has already helped raise about £10,000 as part of Whipsnade’s Elephant Appreciation Week in September.
Karishma created her artwork by grasping a paintbrush with her trunk and decorating a large wooden elephant.
Keeper Elizabeth Becker said: “Karishma really enjoys painting, and she’s very talented at it.
“It demonstrates just how dexterous elephants’ trunks really are and we think the end results are pretty amazing, if a little abstract.”
Asian elephants are endangered with only an estimated 1,500 remaining in the wild.
Bidding started at just 1p and at the time of going to press stood at £255. The sale will close on November 26.
To bid for the piece, search for ‘Whipsnade painting’ on www.ebay.co.uk.
>Meanwhile, the Whipsnade family’s latest addition finally has a name following a vote by members of the public.
‘Jengo’ was the winner in the online poll to determine the seven-week-old male giraffe’s name.
Jengo was born on September 30 to proud first-time parents – mum Ijuma and dad Uno – and already stands over six feet tall.
Keeper Louisa Jakobsen said: “Ijuma is also doing a brilliant job as a first-time mum. She’s been showing excellent maternal instincts towards her baby and is gaining in confidence all the time.”
Among the losing names in the poll was ‘Greg’– after Olympic gold medalist Greg Rutherford. Also rejected were Ozzy, Hercules, Hasani, Azizi, Razi, Baraka and Jake.
To see more pictures of Jengo, follow @ZSLWhipsnadeZoo on Twitter.