Overview
- Linh Mai, which made her public debut Wednesday, drew in-person crowds and a livestream audience as the zoo urged visitors to reserve entry due to high interest.
- Keepers separated her from first-time mother Nhi Linh after post-birth aggression and paired her with 52-year-old Swarna, who now acts as a steady “auntie” for social learning.
- Because she cannot nurse, staff bottle-feed her around the clock and continue basic training, including learning trunk use by watching Swarna.
- The two-month-old has grown from about 308 pounds at birth on Feb. 2 to nearly 500 pounds, with keepers reporting steady daily gains.
- Zoo officials say her parents carry genes that are rare in North American zoos, and experts note Asian elephants are endangered with only 30,000 to 50,000 in the wild, which makes each thriving calf a boost for conservation outreach.