WASHINGTON \u2014 This year, spring showers brought a special April flower to Washington, D.C. \u2014 a 2-month-old Asian elephant named Linh Mai, or “spirit blossom” in Vietnamese. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Subscribe to read this story ad-free <\/p>\n
Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.<\/p>\n
![\"arrow\"](\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/rockcms\/2026-01\/arrow-f55fa5.svg\"){kind=icon}
<\/p>\n
Linh Mai makes her public debut Wednesday at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, where visitors can see the first elephant born at the zoo in nearly 25 years.<\/p>\n
The rare birth in captivity and the elephant calf’s Earth Day debut highlight the plight of Asian elephants, which are endangered. There are only an estimated 50,000 or fewer in the wild, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and their population has dropped by about 50% over the last 60-75 years, according to the World Wildlife Fund. <\/a><\/p>\n The greatest threat the elephants face is losing their habitat, said Nilanga Jayasinghe, a director at the World Wildlife Fund\u2019s Wildlife Conservation team. And as the habitats shrink, the Asian elephant population also grows at a relatively slow rate because of the long gestation period and the need for prolonged nurturing of their young. <\/p>\n \u201cA female elephant carries a baby up to two years, and after the baby is born, there\u2019s also a long period of care because they need the care, they need the protection,\u201d Jayasinghe said. \u201cAnd because those intervals are long, every new individual is important.\u201d<\/p>\n Zoo staff are caring for Linh Mai \u2014 born to 12-year-old mother, Nhi Linh, and 44-year-old father, Spike \u2014 with around-the-clock feedings and socialization efforts. The elephant calf spends her days guzzling milk bottles, exploring the enclosure and working with caretakers to socialize her with the elephant herd.<\/p>\n Linh Mai’s integration, though, faced a swift hurdle when the zoo had to separate her from her mother, after she showed signs of aggression toward the calf. Another elephant, Swarna, 52, has stepped into the maternal role. <\/p>\n “Under the circumstances, we actually couldn’t be more happy about what we’re seeing today,” said Robbie Clark, the zoo\u2019s elephant manager. “Swarna has stepped in as a surrogate aunt, and Linh Mai is thriving today.”<\/p>\n![\"Image:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/042126-Linh-Mai-e0c5a2.jpg\")
Baby elephant Linh Mai, who was born in February, is making her debut in the elephant enclosure at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.Maxine Wallace \/ The Washington Post via Getty Images<\/p>\n