Baby elephant now on exhibit

 The Louisville Zoo’s baby African elephant made its public debut today, April 4.

At a press conference, Mayor Jerry Abramson commented on how the 285-pound bouncing baby boy has captured the hearts of this community.

“This is a big day for the Zoo and the Zoo staff,” Mayor Abramson said, “because it is very rare for an elephant to be born in captivity. And we’re fortunate that that achievement has come to fruition here in Louisville.”

Mom Mikki gave birth to the baby elephant at 8:45 p.m. on March 18.

“With this significant birth, the Louisville Zoo is energized more than ever to emphasize our message of conservation and education and ‘building a better bond between people and the planet,’” Zoo Director John Walczak said.

Mother and baby will be on display daily from 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m. depending on weather and other conditions. You can also check the Zoo hotline at 238-5411 for more information.

A naming contest sponsored by Norton Healthcare will be announced when details are finalized. For baby updates, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.

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The Louisville Zoo is the state zoo of Kentucky and a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Our collections, which include botanical gardens, are accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which is building North America’s largest wildlife conservation movement by engaging and inspiring over 143 million visitors and their communities to care about and take action to help protect wildlife."

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