ANIMALS
Toledo Zoo Welcomes Baby Elephant Born Via Artificial Insemination
Toledo Zoo
The Toledo Zoo in Ohio on Monday announced the recent birth of an endangered African elephant calf conceived with the help of artificial insemination.
The male calf was born on Feb. 17 to mother experienced mother Renee, who arrived at the zoo in 1982 and is estimated to be around 45 years old. Renee weighs around 8,300 pounds and reached 8,800 pounds during pregnancy, and her calf was born weighing 266 pounds. This was her third pregnancy via artificial insemination.
The calf’s father, chosen in collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Elephant Species Survival Plan, was Titan, from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kan.
It took months of coordination working with our partners in the field, Michael Frushour, curator of mammals at the Toledo Zoo, said in a statement. It takes a special team of experts to perform an elephant AI, and we prioritized working with the best professionals within the United States and the world to make sure that happened.
Renee is the matriarch of the zoo’s elephant herd, and is renowned for her gentle and cooperative spirit, making her the preferred elephant for initiating new keepers into training, the zoo said. Renee’s first calf, Louie, now lives at the North Carolina Zoo. Her second calf, Lucas, died of Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus in 2021 at the age of nine.
Zookeepers say both Renee and her newborn are in excellent health.
Preserving the future of this species is critical to us, and we are committed to doing so. We’re looking forward to the new calf joining our elephant family, and we’re optimistic that he will fit in just fine, Frushour said.
Toledo Zoo is home to two other elephants, Twiggy and Ajani. Twiggy, a female, arrived at the zoo in 2010 after being confiscated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is estimated to be 39 years old. Ajani, a 23-year-old male, was born at the Indianapolis Zoo and moved to Toledo in September last year.
The zoo is holding a naming contest for the newest addition to its herd. Members of the public can donate to select a name from a list that includes Leap, Link, Loki, Leif, and Leo. The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 14, and the name with the most votes will be announced on March 15.
The newly named calf will make his public debut on Saturday, March 16, with limited viewing hours for guided tours, during which guests are asked to keep noise at a minimum and to refrain from flash photography. The zoo will host an Elephant Baby Bash on April 6 with activities, scheduled enrichment and keeper talks.
TMX contributed to this article.
