Melb Zoo marks elephant's 2nd birthday

Melbourne Zoo's youngest Asian elephant, Man Jai, has a special treat coming to him for his second birthday on Tuesday - but it will have to wait until school's out.

The zoo is throwing a party for Man Jai with a banana cake from the zoo's bakery decorated with the young calf's favourite snack, dates.

He'll also get a birthday gift - a large ball to play with.

But the manager of the zoo's Trail of the Elephants exhibit, Dominic Moss, says his pre-school training must come first.

He says training began as soon as Man Jai began eating solids, and the idea is to get him used to the veterinary and welfare checks that will keep him happy and healthy.

Trainers have worked up from getting him to respond when they called and getting Man Jai to allow handlers to check the bottoms of his feet.

He'll now lie down on command, which Mr Moss said was a big achievement.

"Elephants feel very vulnerable when they are lying down because they can't get up too quickly, so we have needed to establish a trusting bond with Man Jai to make him feel comfortable lying down," he said.

Man Jai is the second calf from mum Dokkoon and dad Bong Su, and younger brother to the first calf born at the zoo, Mali.

A new calf, Nul-Oi, is due in May next year.