Next year, two pregnant elephants are due to give birth, but the delivery rooms will only have one father present. This week, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio revealed that Phoebe and Sunny, two elephants, are expecting at the same time for the first time in the zoo’s history.
This news offers hope for the conservation of Asian elephants.
Adam Felts, senior curator of animal care and director of animal welfare, said, “This is a very exciting time for us as these pregnancies provide us with the opportunity to care for a multigenerational herd, which is beneficial for the elephants and their social dynamics.”
The impending births, he continued, contribute to keeping the elephant population in North American zoos genetically diversified and robust.
According to the zoo, Phoebe is already the mother of a 3-year-old calf named Frankie, and Sunny is pregnant for the first time. According to the zoo, the gestation period is 22 months.
According to the zoo, both calves were fathered by Sabu, an elephant bull who was temporarily residing in Columbus, as a means of ensuring the survival of the species.
The International Elephant Foundation estimates that there are still between 40,000 and 50,000 Asian elephants in existence.
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Affected by drought In an effort to lessen friction between people and wildlife, Namibia has announced plans to remove wildlife, including 83 elephants.
“With the severe drought situation in the country, conflicts are expected to increase if no interventions are made,” officials stated.
There are presently five elephants in the Columbus Zoo’s herd, according to the zoo.
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