They’re expecting! OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants

Caroline Sellers/KFOR
·3 min read

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden is expecting two adorable additions in 2025.

According to the Zoo, two of its endangered Asian elephants, Asha, 29, and Achara, 9, are pregnant. It was confirmed through blood tests that the two are expecting calves in 2025.

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“We’re elated about this anticipated baby boom and the excitement of two calves joining our herd,” said Rachel Emory, OKC Zoo’s curator of elephants. “Every elephant pregnancy is cause for celebration, but this is a monumental occasion as Achara welcomes her first calf, beginning a second generation of elephants at the Zoo. This growth is invaluable for our herd. Not only are we improving our elephants’ lives, wellbeing, and social interactions, but we are helping sustain a future for their wild counterparts in their native habitats.”

Officials say Asha is predicted to give birth in April of 2025. The new addition will be her fifth offspring to be born in Oklahoma City and fourth fathered by senior bull elephant, Rex, 56.

Asha and Rex are also parents to Achara, Kairavi, 6, and Rama, 2. Asha’s first offspring to be born at the Zoo, Malee, passed away in 2015 at 4 years old due to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV).

OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants.
OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants.
OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants. Image courtesy OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.
OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants. Image courtesy OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Achara is a first-time mom and is predicted to give birth in July of 2025. The dad, Bowie, is the youngest bull elephant at the Zoo at age 10. He arrived in OKC last fall from the Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas, as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP) for Asian elephants. The SSP also made the recommendation for Asha and Rex.

“Achara is a first-time mom and we understand pregnancy and delivery can carry some risk so preparation is key,” Emory said. “Training is a critical part of the Zoo’s elephant care program and we have been working with Achara since she was young to ready her for motherhood. She voluntarily participates in medical behaviors like ultrasounds through positive reinforcement that are important for pregnancy and calf monitoring. Achara was also present for her sisters’ births and observed mom, Asha, during the birth process.”

OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants. Image courtesy OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.
OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants. Image courtesy OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.
OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants. Image courtesy OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.
OKC Zoo announces pregnancies of two Asian elephants. Image courtesy OKC Zoo and Botanical Garden.

According to the Zoo, both moms are in a daily routine including diet, exercise and training to ensure safe and healthy pregnancies. They are also receiving constant care and extra attention from zoo staff.

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The OKC Zoo says it works alongside global conservation partners and supports research to help create a sustainable future for Asian elephants. The Asian elephant’s population in the wild has dropped to less than 40,000 individuals.

Officials say the Zoo has also given more than $450,000 in the last 15 years to elephant-related conservation and has supported various elephant conservation projects in Asia to combat human-elephant conflict, poaching and habitat encroachment.

For more information, visit okczoo.org.

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