Over the weekend, the newest baby elephant at the Oregon Zoo arrived. At 4:29 p.m. on Saturday, Rose-Tu gave birth to a girl calf that weighed about 200 pounds and seemed healthy. After 20 months of pregnancy, the baby was born.
Steve Lefave, who is in charge of the zoo’s elephant program, stated, “We are extremely pleased with how everything is going thus far.” One of the smoothest births I’ve ever witnessed was this one. Rose understood exactly what she had to do. She immediately assisted her baby up. Within fifteen minutes, the child was standing by herself, and shortly after, she took her first steps.
To give the baby and her mother time to connect, zoo employees are avoiding close contact with them. After Rose-Tue and her calf have spent some time together, the veterinarian will examine it and determine its sex.
According to Lefave, Rose is an excellent mother. The calf is already nursing nicely, and she is incredibly kind and protective. These indicate a deep bond between them, which is precisely what we want to see. Mom and baby are doing well on their own so far, but we’re prepared to assist if necessary.
We’ll be updating this story.
