Trumpet voluntary: Elephants 'excited' by banana-toting Queen Elizabeth

Britain's Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip fed an elephant bananas on Tuesday to the apparent delight of the herd.

Elizabeth, who is patron of the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), and Philip met Donna, one of a nine-strong Asian elephant herd at the Centre for Elephant Care at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, outside London.

The pachyderms were said to be thrilled.

"The elephants, when they saw Her Majesty, were excited and we know that, actually, because we track their communications in the barn and we could see that they were excited with what was going on," ZSL zoological director David Field said.

One of the center's elephants is also called Elizabeth, born a day before the queen's 90th birthday last year.

"Little Elizabeth didn't quite meet the queen. She's still a little young and unpredictable," Field said.

The monarch unveiled a plaque for the opening.