.png)
International PR Coverage for Asian Elephant "Miracle Twins" at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo
A global PR campaign for the historic birth of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo's "Miracle Twins," the story that reached tens of millions of viewers, earned the zoo international attention, and marked an incredible moment in conservation history.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
On October 24, 2022, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo made history when the zoo's pregnant Asian elephant, Mali, unexpectedly gave birth to twins. As elephant twins occur in less than 1% of births and rarely both twins survive, we knew this achievement would bring millions of eyes and thousands of visitors to the small Syracuse Zoo. I was assigned to build a media list and write a press release that would communicate the rarity and miraculousness of this event in elephant conservation. This story carried additional weight for the Rosamond Gifford Zoo staff and its local community. Only a few years prior, Mali had lost two of her calves to Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV), a lethal virus that targets young elephants. The loss devastated the community. These twins felt like a miracle. When I wrote the press release, I led with just that word: "miracle." The strategy worked. Within hours of going public, our local milestone became a global phenomenon. The 'Miracle Twins' headline was picked up by major networks like CNN and the Associated Press, ultimately reaching tens of millions of people worldwide. Suddenly, our tight-knit Syracuse zoo was the focal point of international conservation news. This project was one of the most exciting of my career. It was incredible to see our community rally around the zoo, especially after experiencing such heartbreak in the years before. In my exclusive interviews with the elephant care team, I got to witness intensely emotional recounts of when the second twins was born, and the realization that Mali had been given a second chance of being a mother to two boys. I'm incredibly proud to say that I got to write the news of this moment in history.
COVERAGE IN
THE RESULTS
Historic Elephant Twins Drives Historic Zoo Success
After the news of the twins broke in November 2022, the zoo experienced an unprecedented boom in revenue gained from new memberships, daily zoo attendance, fundraising initiatives, and gift shop items featuring the miracle twins.
Global Media Attention
Secured extensive tier-one coverage across premier international wire services and national syndicates—including the Associated Press, CNN, and major networks—reaching an estimated audience of tens of millions worldwide.
Increase in Zoo Attendance & Record Zoo Membership
In 2023, the zoo experienced an 29% increase in attendance, which was explicitly driven in part by the elephant twins. The zoo's membership also saw a dramatic increase in 2023, with the year ending with 10,232 active members (their highest on record).
Social Media Sensations
After the birth of the elephant twins, the zoo's social media presence boomed across all platforms, gaining 585.8% growth in followers and 53,680,859 video-content views.
Authority in Elephant Conservation
The attention from this success solidified the zoo’s status as an elite conservation institution, earning direct praise from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) President for being a "remarkable achievement" and highlighting the facility’s role as one of only eight specialized, AZA-approved Asian elephant breeding herds in North America.