In order to engage the public and raise awareness as well as money, we recurred to the use of selling the zoo's merchandise, but with a twist. Plush elephants were put in vacuum sealed plastic bags which made the toys look much smaller and bent out of shape. The bag had a sticker that read 'more space for the big ones'After opening the bag, the toy would come back to its normal shape and size.

In a very short time, more than 3,000 plush elephants were sold.