308 Pound Baby Takes First Steps in Washington

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo announced the birth this week of an Asian elephant—an endangered species. The female calf was born on Groundhog Day at 1:15 a.m. to 12-year-old mother Nhi Linh and 44-year-old father Spike. 

Zoo vets described the calf as “healthy, alert and bright-eyed” in a press release, after listening to her heart and lungs, checking out her eyes and ears, and testing range of motion in her limbs. Baby weighed 308 pounds at birth and stood (almost immediately) 38.5 inches tall.  

The keepers wonder if the calf will be relaxed and easygoing, like her father, or more feisty and rambunctious like Nhi Linh. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums – which mixes and matches potential mates for animals in captivity all over the world – had recommended the Spike–Nhi Linh pairing in 2022. Spike came to the National Zoo from Busch Gardens in Tampa (on loan from Zoo Miami) in 2018. Nhi Linh, along with  her mother, Trong Nhi, arrived in fall 2022 as a gift from the Rotterdam Zoo.

Nhi Linh’s pregnancy lasted 21 months, right in line with the Asian elephant average of 18 to 22 months. The calf is Nhi Linh’s first, while Spike has sired three calves at other zoos, none of which survived. The zookeepers believe the Nhi Linh-Spike combo will do better, and will help strengthen the genetic diversity of the Asian elephant population.   

Now for the naming of the newborn. The elephant care team has narrowed the choices down to four names of Vietnamese origin, just like mom’s. You can peruse the etymologies here; for five bucks or more you can vote for your favorite, with all proceeds supporting Asian elephant care and conservation. 

Baby’s very first steps are on record here. The zoo’s elephant cam will be offline while Nhi Linh bonds with her calf.

Photo credit: Smithsonian's National Zoo