Elephant rescued from Swaziland delivers calf at Dallas Zoo
This May 2016 image provided by the Dallas Zoo shows a baby elephant at the zoo in Dallas. The male calf was delivered of a mother that was one of five African elephants brought to the Dallas Zoo after their rescue from the southern African nation of Swaziland. Dallas Zoo via AP
DALLAS — An elephant rescued from the southern African nation of Swaziland has given birth to a baby at the Dallas Zoo.
The zoo issued a statement Tuesday announcing the May 14 birth of the male calf. The calf doesn’t yet have a name. He weighs 175 pounds, stands about 3 feet tall and has a trunk just over a foot long.
The zoo says the infant’s weight at birth was at the low end of the 150-to-300-pound range expected for healthy newborn African elephant. That was blamed on food scarcity in the mother’s homeland, where a severe drought made food scarce.
The mother, Mlilo (muh-LEE’-loh), was pregnant when the group of five elephants arrived earlier this year. Friends of Animals had sued to stop the proposed importation. That suit is pending.
RELATED STORIES
Article continues after this advertisementUnlucky in love, elephant damages 15 cars in southern China
Indonesia uses trained elephants to control forest fires
