Probably not news to many of you. The zoo's herd matriarch is going to deliver a calf sometime between now and mid-August.
More below the "Nairobi orange" dust cloud...
Elephants in zoos give me a mixed feeling. For an animal capable of traveling 40 miles in one day, it's a bit of a cramped existence. However, with the level of poaching going on in Africa, it's important to preserve as much genetic diversity in the species as possible. Zoos represent a good sized gene pool, so there's that.
Why am I writing this? I'm a passionate advocate for elephants. It's part of my political make-up and since I can't move to elephant country I do what I can for them here. Supporting the zoo as it contributes to the elephant populace is something I can do.
Plus, there's nothing as cute as an infant elephant. The baby will not be on view until it's a few months old, but it will still be infant enough to warm your heart and tickle your soul.
Okay, thanks for letting me go on about this. :D
Tue Jun 17, 2014 at 10:22 AM PT: Here's an update from the zoo: the Pachyderm Pregnancy Page. Follow this link for info: http://reidparkzoo.org/...