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National Zoo’s Baby Elephant Set for Earth Day Debut

The two-month-old has rebounded from early digestive trouble, with daily training now part of her routine.

Overview

  • Linh Mai will go on public view Wednesday, April 22, after a short members-only preview this week, and the zoo will restore its Elephant Cam.
  • Born February 2, the calf is the zoo’s first elephant in nearly 25 years, and her parents’ genes are expected to bolster diversity in managed Asian elephant populations.
  • Keepers have bottle-fed her every two hours since her inexperienced mother rejected her, and the older female Swarna has stepped in as a steady surrogate.
  • After early digestive issues that required a fecal transplant, zoo staff say she is healthy and gaining 25 to 30 pounds each week.
  • At roughly 462 to 464 pounds this week, she recognizes her name and is learning stationing and targeting, behaviors that let staff position and move her safely through the habitat.