POWELL, Ohio– POWELL, Ohio (AP) — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed its second baby elephant in a single calendar year for the first time in its nearly 100-year history, a milestone the Ohio attraction is billing as a victory for conservation.
Phoebe, 38, gave birth to a male Asian elephant calf on Tuesday at 10:41 p.m. The 222-pound (100-kilogram) offspring has not yet been presented to the public. This way, the couple gets uninterrupted bonding time and the zoo’s animal care and conservation medicine team can provide 24-hour supervision while the baby begins to stand, nurse and explore its environment.
Calf’s father, Sabu, lives at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical garden. They were paired as part of a national zoo initiative that aims to support healthy, genetically diverse populations of threatened and endangered species under professional care.
Although there have recently been signs of hope for Asian elephants in the wild, habitat degradation and challenges in maintaining genetic diversity are among the reasons they remain endangered.
The baby joins Phoebe’s already large family, which includes another male and two females. Her 16-year-old daughter Sunny gave birth to a little female named Rita Jean four months ago.
The zoo said it will continue to share updates on public visitation opportunities, naming plans and other milestones for the babies.
