The Louisville Zoo is proud to announce
the birth of a healthy male African elephant on Sunday March 18th at 8:45 p.m.
Mother Mikki and her young son are both
doing well.
“He is a spectacular baby!” said Zoo Director John
Walczak. “This is a phenomenal event for the Zoo, our community and Mikki. I
am excited and proud of our staff and the great job they did. Seeing the
birth was a moment of pure joy.”
Mikki gave birth after a 22-month gestation period.
She became pregnant through artificial insemination June of 2005 with the
help of Dr. Dennis Schmitt, professor at Southwest Missouri State University
and the leading North American expert in elephant reproductive physiology
and veterinary management.
Schmitt arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon Sunday and
was present for the birth. Mikki was also attended to by Zoo veterinary and
elephant staff. She started labor at 8 p.m. March 18 and the calf was born
rear legs first 45 minutes later.
“Dr. Schmitt told me it was the smoothest elephant
delivery he has ever seen,” Walczak said.
Immediately after the birth, the veterinary team
performed a neonatal exam. The stocky calf is strong and sturdy and has even
been heard trumpeting from hundreds of feet away.
“Mikki and calf are doing great, and they are very
healthy,” said Zoo veterinarian Dr. Roy Burns. “It is heartening to watch
Mikki explore and bond with the calf. And over the next few days we will
keep a close eye on both her and the baby.”
Mikki was carefully monitored and well cared for
throughout her entire pregnancy. She regularly participated in power walks
and exercises to stay healthy. Ultrasounds and blood draws were frequently
scheduled to alert zoo veterinarians to any potential issues.
“After 633 days of extremely hard work, we are very
excited to finally see this handsome calf,” said Dave Campbell, elephant
supervisor. “I feel like a proud grandpa. Mikki has a great disposition, and
I know she will be a great mom.”
Mikki is the second African elephant this year in
North America to give birth. Since April 2003, 12 of the last 14 elephant
conceptions have been successful.
“Elephant breeding at accredited zoos provides
critical support for elephant conservation. Everyday more and more habitat
for wild animals is lost due to pressures from human overpopulation, habitat
destruction and poaching. In the past 25 years in the wild, the African
elephant population has fallen from 1.6 million to less than 500,000—a
decline of more than 100 elephants each day,” Walczak said.
Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) elephant
breeding program is administered under the auspices of the Elephant Species
Survival Plan (SSP), a cooperative program of all accredited zoos with
elephants. The plan promotes the survival of elephant species into the
future, by providing linkages between zoo animal “ambassadors” and the
conservation of their wild counterparts in nature.
Weight at birth:
285 pounds Weight as of 8/25/07: 600 pounds
Fun Facts: The baby's favorite things to do are to
play on the log and in the mud at the Elephant Exhibit.
