Fort Worth Zoo announced the birth of a
330-pound, 38-inch tall female Asian Elephant calf on July 7.  This calf is only the second Elephant ever born
at the zoo.

Photo Credit:  Fort Worth Zoo

 
Rasha, the zoo’s 40-year-old
Asian Elephant, gave birth to the baby, her second, after a 22-month gestation.
Rasha was carefully monitored throughout her entire pregnancy. As part of her
prenatal care, she received weekly blood tests to monitor progesterone levels,
regular physical examinations, and sonograms. The calf’s father is Groucho, a
43-year-old bull who is currently on loan to the Denver Zoo.

Both mother and calf are in
great condition at this time. The initial bonding between an Elephant calf and
its mother is vital to a successful rearing.   

The public is invited to help
name the calf through July 25 on
the zoo’s website.

Listed as endangered since
1976, the Asian Elephant is threatened by drastic habitat alteration and the
poaching of male Elephants for their ivory tusks. Because birth rates are low in the wild and in
zoos, the birth of this calf is important to the future of the species.