Overview
- Linh Mai, a two‑month‑old Asian elephant, entered the public yard Wednesday in Washington, marking the zoo’s first elephant birth in nearly 25 years.
- Soon after her Feb. 2 birth, staff separated her from first‑time mother Nhi Linh for safety, and 52‑year‑old Swarna stepped in as a surrogate caregiver.
- Keepers provide round‑the‑clock bottle‑feeding and training, and they are introducing her to crowds in stages with close stress monitoring and a live Elephant Cam.
- Zoo leaders say they hope to reunite the calf with her mother when it is safe, though they will not force contact and will reassess timing as the calf matures.
- Officials highlight conservation stakes because the species is endangered and her parents carry underrepresented genes, with only 30,000–50,000 Asian elephants left in the wild after decades of decline.