The Saint Louis
Zoo's baby Asian Elephant, born on April 26, is experiencing new adventures every day as she explores the world under the watchful eye of her mother, Ellie. You saw the not-so-little calf's first baby pictures here on ZooBorns (she weighed 251 pounds at birth!).

In the video below, you'll see the female calf enjoying her first bath, courtesy of a zoo keeper with a hose! You can help
name the baby on
the zoo’s website through Sunday.

Photo Credits:  Liz Martin (1), Saint Louis Zoo (2), Stephanie Richmond (3,5), Sarah Riffle (4)

Mother and baby
are not yet on public display, and a debut date has not been set. This is
Ellie’s third baby and the fourth for the baby’s 20-year-old father, Raja.

“An experienced
mother and grandmother, Ellie was, of course, very nurturing, caring for her
newborn baby from the very beginning,” said Curator of mammals Martha Fischer. “She did a great job of
carrying and giving birth to a beautiful baby girl.”  

“Elephants form deep family bonds and live in
tight matriarchal family groups of related females so the addition of a fourth
female youngster further cements these strong ties and mirrors the natural
family structure for Asian Elephants found in the wild,”  Fischer said.

The Saint Louis
Zoo has been actively involved with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA)
Species Survival Plan for Asian Elephants. “Because Asian Elephants are so
endangered in the wild, the birth of this Elephant is important to the
conservation work we do with other North American zoos,” says Dr. Jeffrey P.
Bonner, Dana Brown President & CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo. “Together
AZA-accredited zoos cooperatively manage the breeding of Asian Elephants to
maintain healthy populations that are as genetically diverse and as
demographically stable as possible.

“There are only
between 35,000 and 50,000 Asian Elephants left in the wild, and they are facing
extinction. Given the shrinking population of Asian Elephants, the Saint Louis
Zoo shares a common vision with other professional Elephant conservation
organizations and with our Elephant care colleagues—a vision that includes Elephants
in the world’s future forever, both in zoos and in the wild.”

In addition to
participating in the AZA Species Survival Plan, the Zoo supports the welfare
and conservation of Asian Elephants in Sumatra and other countries in Asia
through the International Elephant Foundation, as well as the conservation of
African Elephants in Kenya.

Also, with Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus
(EEHV) a common health issue for Elephants both in the care of zoos and in the
wild, the Saint Louis Zoo has been instrumental in pursuing the latest EEHV
detection and testing protocols. For several years, the Zoo has joined other
North American Elephant care facilities in actively supporting an EEHV research
effort.  The International Elephant Foundation is facilitating this study
to find a cure.