Student provides classmates with a guest to never forget
By Julie Elliott

Six-year-old Christian Kelly thought he had the best show and tell ever at Kid Country Child Development Center when he brought in his pet chicken earlier this year.

"I brought a chicken to school and everybody liked the noises it made," Christian said. "I brought a chicken and that was cool."

But that was before classmate Jillian Blair brought Kamba the elephant.

Jillian's 4,100-pound friend spent two hours at the private day-care/kindergarten Tuesday.

"It's cool because I never saw an elephant before," said Christian as he waited to ride on Kamba's back. "I didn't get to see one at the zoo because they were hiding. ... My mom isn't going to believe an elephant came to school."

Students squealed and jumped up and down as Kamba, a 21-year-old female African elephant that stands nearly 8 feet tall, emerged from the back of a tractor-trailer around noon Tuesday at the school on Edmonds Lane in Lewisville. Two other elephants remained inside. They were brought to relieve Kamba in case she got tired.

Kamba paraded around the school's parking lot, begging for snacks and waving at children with her trunk.

"Wow. Here she comes. Here she comes," said 5-year-old Johnathon Young, as Kamba inched closer to him. "Oh, my gosh. She's huge. She's so cool."

Four-year-old Jillian brought Kamba for show and tell after her grandfather, who has spent his life working with performance animals, made the suggestion to her. Bob Kellogg, Jillian's grandfather who lives in Burbank, Calif., works with performing animals. Mr. Kellogg contacted a friend who owned the elephants. Mr. Kellogg did not attend the event.

Jillian's large friend instantly made her the envy of other children but her only concern was getting a ride on Kamba and feeding her friend bananas.

"I brought eight bananas for Kamba, but she could eat a hundred more," the kindergartner said. "Elephants are my favorites."