Dish-Houston

After a pregnancy lasting almost 23 months, Shanti, a 23 year old Asian elephant delivered a healthy 385 pound male calf shortly after 2:00 a.m. today at the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat.

“The elephant keepers have named the calf Duncan,” said Houston Zoo Large Mammal Curator Daryl Hoffman. “They like the way it sounds,” he added.

Attended by the Houston Zoo’s elephant care team and assisted by the Zoo’s veterinary staff, Shanti delivered the baby at 2:13 a.m. today. 

“After months of preparation and tender loving care, Shanti’s labor was very brief and the delivery was  quick and easy for her” said  Hoffman.  “The keepers helped the calf to his feet and he was standing on his own within about an hour after his birth,” he added.  “The calf started nursing at 9 this morning,” said Hoffman.  “In the first 90 minutes after his first meal we saw him nurse more than 15 times.  Duncan has a very good appetite,” added Hoffman. Thai, the baby’s father, is 48 years old.

Immediately after the calf was born, the elephant care team and the Zoo’s veterinary staff performed a neonatal exam. 

“We weighed and measured the calf and took a blood sample.” said Houston Zoo Chief Veterinarian Dr. Joe Flanagan. “Duncan is almost 40 inches tall at the shoulder,” added Flanagan.

Elephant keepers will keep Shanti and Duncan under a 24-hour watch for the next few weeks.   The viewing windows in the barn at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat are temporarily closed to the public. The windows will reopen to the public after the elephant care team has seen signs that Duncan is well-bonded with his mother and is comfortable in his new home, possibly next week. Duncan is Shanti’s fourth calf.  

The 8 members of the Houston Zoo’s elephant care team, assisted by the Zoo’s 4 full time veterinarians and veterinary staff and a core group of Zoo volunteers have been monitoring Shanti closely for the past 11 months.  The routine intensified over the past 12 weeks with regular ultrasounds to monitor the baby’s health and blood work to gauge the mother’s progesterone level.   Throughout the delivery, Shanti was attended by the entire elephant care team and assisted by Zoo veterinarians and Zoo hospital veterinary technicians.

            More than 50 volunteers and Zoo staff began a seven-day a week overnight birth watch in late-November.  Utilizing a state of the art closed-circuit television system, the birth watch team observed and documented Shanti’s behavior.  When blood tests indicated Shanti’s progesterone level had fallen to a low baseline level, members of the elephant care team and veterinarians remained at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat around the clock watching for indications that labor might begin at any moment. 

The Houston Zoo is preparing for a big delivery next year.  Following the back to back births of Asian elephant calves Baylor and Tupelo in 2010, the Houston Zoo is making preparations for Shanti, a 23 year old Asian elephant to give birth in January, 2014.

            “The average gestation period for an Asian elephant is 22 months,” said Houston Zoo Director Rick Barongi.  “Our nine member elephant care staff along with our four Zoo veterinarians as well as research partners at Baylor College of Medicine have been monitoring Shanti throughout her pregnancy. We’re looking forward to a successful birth and the new addition to our multigenerational herd,” added Barongi.

            The Houston Zoo’s elephant care staff along with veterinarians have been monitoring the progress of Shanti’s pregnancy with regular ultrasound procedures since the late spring of last year.  Keepers have also been monitoring Shanti’s weight and her diet and leading the expectant mother through a regular exercise program.

            In mid-November, training of a night watch pregnancy monitoring team made up of volunteers and Zoo employees will commence.  The team will observe Shanti via closed circuit TV cameras in the barn at the Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat, monitoring and recording her behavior and watching for signs of labor.  The night watch pregnancy monitoring will begin in late November and will continue until the calf’s birth.

             In December, daily blood sample collection to monitor Shanti’s progesterone levels will begin. A steeply declining blood progesterone level typically occurs 3-5 days prior to delivery.

            The Houston Zoo is home to 7 Asian elephants including 3 males and 4 females. Shanti’s last calf was Baylor, a male born May 4, 2010.  Weighing 348-pounds at birth, Baylor was named in recognition of the unprecedented and ongoing advances made by Baylor College of Medicine’s research team to significantly reduce the threat of a potentially lethal elephant herpes virus.

About the Houston Zoo

Founded in 1922, the Houston Zoo is an exciting live animal adventure that provides a unique educational and conservation resource serving more than 2 million guests annually.  Set in a 55-acre lush tropical landscape, the Zoo is home to more than 6,000 exotic animals representing more than 800 species.  Visitors can experience the wonders of Africa at The African Forest, the new 6.5 acre, $40 million addition featuring chimps, rhinos, and giraffes.  Travel to Africa.  No Passport Required.