Birth of baby elephant made history. See curious calf bond with mom at Indiana zoo
Seventeen years ago, an elephant named Zahara was born through artificial insemination.
Now, Zahara has made history by giving birth to her baby boy, who was also conceived via artificial insemination, according to the Indianapolis Zoo.
This was the first time in history that an elephant born through the procedure delivered a calf also born through the technique, zoo officials said.
Her calf, who has yet to be named, was born shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4, according to a news release from the Indiana zoo.
“This Labor Day was history-making for the Indianapolis Zoo with first-time elephant mother Zahara bringing a male calf into the world,” the zoo said.
Zahara delivered the boy after only about 20 minutes of labor, according to the release. He weighed 262 pounds — a healthy weight for a newborn African elephant.
“Zahara’s mother Ivory is known for her short labor times, and this baby came quickly as well,” Niki Kowalski, assistant curator of elephants, said in the release.
About 10 minutes after the strong calf was born, he was standing up on his own, the zoo said.
“The baby boy is adventurous and playful,” Kowalski said in the release. “He is very active and curious about all those around him — elephant and human alike!”
Meanwhile, his mom has been “a very attentive and gentle mother,” and she continues to check on him, according to the zoo. She and her calf have also started figuring out how to successfully nurse.
Photos from the zoo show the baby boy staying close to his mom, including when she eats.
The newborn calf is the beginning of a third generation in the Indianapolis Zoo’s elephant herd, adding to a “natural and healthy social setting” for the elephants, according to the release. The first and second African elephants born through artificial insemination were at the Indianapolis Zoo in 2000.
The two species of African elephants — the African forest elephant and the African savanna elephant — are considered critically endangered and endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The elephants are threatened by poaching and habitat loss.
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