Zookeepers Are Amazed When They Check On Pregnant Elephant And See Baby Walking Around

Oct 08, 2018

An elephant pregnancy at the zoo is a big deal. Elephants are endangered, so a baby means a boost to their numbers. After an elephant becomes pregnant, there's a long wait until you get to meet the baby. Elephants have one of the longest gestation periods at 22 months.

The zookeepers at San Diego Zoo Safari Park had been waiting for an elephant baby. When they went to check on Umngani, an expectant elephant mother, they were met with a big surprise.

The first surprise was that Umngani was no longer pregnant. The elephant had had three calves before, and she always carried past their due date. The zookeepers were not expecting her to give birth for a few more weeks. Umngani had not followed the zookeepers, however, and instead gave birth to a healthy girl in the middle of the night.

The next surprise was how big the new baby elephant was. Most baby elephants weigh around 200 to 260 pounds. Umngani's new baby came in at a record-breaking 281 pounds. She is the largest baby born at the park. The record before her was a male elephant calf that weighed 272. He was born a month before her.

The mother and baby elephant are both doing fine.

The Zookeepers posted a video on Facebook of the little calf meeting the rest of the herd. They also stated that she was quickly becoming Zuli's favorite playmate Zulli was the name of the large male calf born a month earlier.

Are you like the zookeepers and surprised by how much the baby elephant weighed? Do you think the video of the new baby girl is adorable? Show someone else who loves elephants to brighten their day.