This Arizona zoo welcomed a new African elephant calf. See the cute baby
An African elephant calf was born at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson on Friday morning, becoming the fifth member of the zoo's elephant herd.
The zoo's elephant matriarch Semba gave birth to a 265-pound calf at 3:31 a.m. on Friday, the Reid Park Zoo announced. The staff has not yet determined the calf's sex but said the elephant is healthy and nursing well.
The calf is bonding with its mother, two big sisters Nandi and Penzi and allomother Lungille, who will help care for the calf.
"We cannot wait to introduce this new calf to our community and for our herd to continue to inspire a love for elephants and their needs in the wild," Nancy Kluge, the president and CEO of Reid Park Zoo, said in a statement.
Semba and her calf will remain behind the scenes at the zoo as they bond, but visitors can expect to meet the newest herd member soon, according to Reid Park Zoo.
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Arizona zoo seeks to protect endangered African elephants
The calf bolsters the African elephant population, which was listed as critically endangered in 2021 on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Endangered Species.
The African elephant population has declined from poaching, and their tusks are sold in the illegal ivory trade. Forest and savanna habitats also contribute to the decline, as land is developed for agriculture and other uses.
Reid Park Zoo supports initiatives to protect elephants in the wild, like the Tarangire Conservation Research Program, which conserves elephant habitat in Africa and participates in the African elephant Species Survival Plan to support and care for the species in captivity.
While Semba showed potential medical concerns early in her pregnancy, requiring 24/7 monitoring starting in late November, the calf is healthy and meeting early milestones, the zoo said.
The zoo's elephant care team will continue monitoring Semba and her calf before introducing them to the public.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: African elephant calf born at Reid Park Zoo in Tucson
