African elephants are truly incredible, majestic animals, but also vulnerable: they are an endangered species, threatened in their natural habitat by illegal poaching and habitat loss.
Which makes every new birth an inspiring sign of hope for the survival of this species. A year ago, elephant lovers got double good news when Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium announced the birth of their first-ever elephant calf… followed just weeks later by their second.
Now, the zoo has announced even more good news as a third baby elephant has been born, joining their incredible growing family.
On March 2, the zoo announced that 11-year-old female African elephant Lolly gave birth to a male calf. Both mom and son were reportedly “doing well.”
The elephant care team had been monitoring Lolly round-the-clock in anticipation. The male calf marks the third-ever birth of an elephant at the zoo, following the arrivals of half-siblings Eugenia and Sonny last year.
The sire of all three calfs is 22-year-old Callee, who joined the zoo in 2019.
The zoo says that their Elephant Family Quarters will be closed off to guests in order to allow Lolly some private time to bond with her new calf, but say guests will be able to see all three young elephants once the area is reopened.
The African elephant is currently considered endangered and critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Populations in the wild have been severely hurt by illegal poaching.
The Henry Doorly Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and in addition to caring for African elephants in captivity they have been part of elephant protection projects like the 96 Elephants Campaign, which encourages an increased crackdown on the illegal ivory trade, citing that 96 elephants a day are killed for their ivory.
The arrival of a baby elephant like this is always great news, a step towards ensuring the future survival of this vulnerable species. It will also hopefully inspire zoo visitors to do their part in the conservation of these majestic animals.
We are sure everyone at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo is excited about these beautiful young elephants, the first three born in the zoo’s history — but there is even more excitement still to come.
According to the zoo, an elephant named Jayei is pregnant and her calf is expected to arrive this summer!
Congratulations to the Henry Doorly Zoo on the arrival of their third elephant calf! What an adorable addition to this growing family, and a sign of hope for this vulnerable species!
Welcome to the world! ❤️🐘 Please share this amazing news!
