PORTLAND — The Oregon Zoo in Portland has welcomed its latest addition, a child elephant.
“We couldn’t be happier with how everything is going so far,” Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo’s elephant program, mentioned within the launch. “This was one of the smoothest births I’ve ever seen. Rose knew just what to do. She helped her baby up right away. The kid was standing on her own within 15 minutes and took her first steps soon after that.”
Rose-Tu and her child, who’s nursing repeatedly, are doing nicely, Kelsey Wallace from the zoo’s communications staff mentioned Tuesday.
The calf is Rose-Tu’s third child. Her firstborn, 16-year-old Samudra, additionally lives on the zoo. Her second calf, Lily, handed away from a virus in 2018, simply earlier than she turned 6 years outdated.
It could be some time earlier than the brand new child and Rose-Tu are prepared for guests. Workers need to ensure that the calf continues to do nicely, and that Rose-Tu is calm and comfy with individuals round, Lefave mentioned.
“Rose is a fantastic mom,” he mentioned. “She’s so gentle and protective, and the calf is already nursing well. These are signs that they will have a strong bond, which is exactly what we want to see. We’re ready to help if needed, but so far mom and baby are doing just fine on their own.”
The zoo helps a broad vary of efforts to assist wild elephants, and its elephant care program has spanned over 60 years, in accordance with its assertion.