Ellie the elephant can do everything but win a staring contest

The traveling empathy-building animatronic came to Ormond Beach's Enviro Camp July 26.

By Emily Blackwood
| 4:45 p.m. July 26, 2016

Siobhan Daly made a elephant cake to celebrate Ellie's visit (Photos by Emily Blackwood).

The kids at Enviro Camp got a special visit from Ellie the Elephant July 26.

Ada Oler, 6, gave Ellie a big hug goodbye before she left.

Ellie the Elephant talked to the kids about how they can help animals suffering in the circus and how to be kinder to all.

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"She can do a lot of things," 6-year-old Ada Oler said while stroking the elephant's nose. "The only thing she can't do is win a staring contest."

Ellie, the traveling empathy-building animatronic elephant, blinks every 10 seconds or so, making Oler the reigning staring contest champ.

But the elephant wasn't there to win, she was there to teach Ormond Beach kids about how they can help animals suffering in the circus. A part of PETA Kids, Ellie teaches young people to have empathy and respect for all living beings — an important lesson to learn when children are faced with bullies. The presentation was given to the kids at Enviro Camp July 26 at the Environmental Discovery Center.

"This is our Into the Wild week, and we're teaching kids about endangered speices, and different animals," said Siobhan Daly, cultural center coordinator at The Casements. "It's important that we teach them how to be good stewards of the environment, and to learn what it is that animals really want."