OKC Zoo expecting new born elephant in February 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) -- A 25-year-old Asian elephant, Asha, at the Oklahoma City Zoo is pregnant and is expected to give birth in February 2022.
The Oklahoma City Zoo made the announcement on Wednesday, which also happens to be World Elephant Day.
“We are extremely excited to have a calf on the way and look forward to this new addition joining our multigenerational herd, and watching as our elephants interact with a little one,” said Rachel Emory, OKC Zoo’s curator of elephants and rhinos. “Asian elephants are endangered so every pregnancy is valuable to the survival of this beloved animal as their wild counterparts continue to face extreme hardships in their native habitats.”
This will be Asha's fourth calf to be born at the Oklahoma City Zoo.
She is also mother to 5-year-old Achara and 1-year-old Kairavi.
The zoo announced that although it is early in the pregnancy, Asha and her calf appear to be healthy and the zoo is optimistic everything will go well for Asha.
Elephants have the longest pregnancy in the animal kingdom, lasting 22 months from conception to birth and then giving birth to a baby that can weigh anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds, the zoo said.
The Oklahoma City Zoo said they are committed to elephant-related conservation and has contributed over $400,000 since 2010 in their efforts.
The zoo has supported the Northern Rangelands since 2009, which protects elephants and other species native to Kenya, and they partnered with the Rainforest Trust to buy and preserve 13,000 acres of forest in Sumatra and 18,000 acres of forest in Borneo, which are both natural habitats for Asian elephants.
When the new elephant is born in February 2022, it will join Asha, Chandra, Bamboo, Kandula, Rex, Archara, and Kairavi in the zoo's elephant family.
The zoo said to follow along on their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on Asha's pregnancy.