Endangered newborn elephant born at Texas zoo is already walking. See the 314-lb baby
A Texas zoo has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of a newborn elephant for almost two years.
The 314-pound Asian elephant was born on Nov. 15 and immediately started exploring her surroundings, the Houston Zoo announced in a Nov. 18 news release.
“Kirby was standing within six minutes, walking 25 minutes later, and began nursing within an hour and a half of being born,” the zoo said.
Kirby’s 34-year-old mother Shanti had a 21-month-long pregnancy and a 19-hour labor, according to zoo officials. Elephants have “one of the longest pregnancies of any land mammal,” officials said.
Early examinations of the newborn revealed she was “healthy and strong,” the zoo said. She’ll spend her time away from public view so she can bond with her mother and grow.
Asian elephants are found in areas of India and Southeastern Asia, according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. These creatures spend the majority of their day eating or making their way to a source of water and food.
However, the species has been threatened in the wild by habitat loss, conflict with people and poaching, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. There are an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 in the wild.
“As the natural habitat of Asian elephants shrinks, hungry elephants are forced to search for food outside of the forest,” the FWS said on its website. “Often, these food sources are local villagers’ subsistence crops, such as banana, rice, and cassava plantations, which are damaged by elephants and can result in retaliation by angry villagers.”
In Houston, zoo officials will eagerly watch for Kirby to begin communicating with her mom as the two bond.
This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 11:11 AM with the headline "Endangered newborn elephant born at Texas zoo is already walking. See the 314-lb baby."
