Indianapolis Zoo’s Newest Adorable Baby Elephant Enjoys His First Swim
There's nothing cuter than watching baby animals (and humans!) explore and learn about their new world. @Indianapolis Zoo welcomed a new baby elephant in September 2023, and shortly after they shared a video of that little guy taking his first steps. On Saturday, December 2nd we got another first of him going for his first swim. It'll totally make your day!
The video is about 2 minutes of cuteness and starts with mama Zahara making her way towards the water with baby Jabari in tow. When he gets to the edge of the water, he was a little unsure about it, and was taking baby steps into it to get the feel of it. If that wasn't adorable enough, he then bends down to get his trunk in the water. The rest of the video is too cute to describe, so you can watch it and see for yourself!
I could literally watch him all day! The whole thing is beyond adorable, and it looks like Jabari is a huge fan of playing in the water! Zahara is so attentive and gentle with him, and she kept checking to make sure that he was okay. The baby elephant took his first steps in front of an audience and got to take his first swim with an audience watching, too!
Related: Precious Baby Elephant at Indianapolis Zoo Takes First Steps Outside
Mom continued to keep an eye (and trunk!) on him the whole time, reassuring him that he was safe. It also seems that she used her body to shield him from going in too deep. She's a good mama! @Indianapolis Zoo said in their caption that Jabari got very adventurous in the water, and that he's a big fan. I can't wait to see more of him!
Facts About Baby Elephants
We all know that baby elephants are beyond cute, and they're also just as smart as we all have come to know them to be. They're curious, insightful, and affectionate. Moms have a gestation period of 18-22 months (wow!) and babies weigh about 250 pounds at birth (double wow...that's a big baby!) Most calves are born at night to avoid predators and are born with curly black or red hair on their foreheads. And these littles are always hungry! They drink up to three gallons of mom's milk every day and will do so for two years or longer.
Another interesting elephant fact: Female elephants will stay with their herd for life, yet males head out on their own at about 12 to 14 years of age. Lucky for us, Jabari will stay with Zahara for many more years to come before he ventures out on his own. We've got all kinds of time to watch him continue to thrive and grow at the Indy Zoo!
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