Second elephant calf born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | Video
Phoebe the Asian elephant gave birth to a healthy male calf on Oct. 21 at 10:41 p.m., according to a news release from the zoo.
Provided by: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
At 10:18 p.m. on Oct. 21, an assistant curator at the Columbus Zoo and Aquariaum’s Asia Quest observed what looked like signs of active labor in pregnant Asian elphant Phoebe.
“Could be nothing,” the curator said.
At 10:41 p.m., Phoebe gave birth to a 222-pound male calf. Check out the video atop this story to see the first moments of the as-yet-unnamed baby elepant’s life.
Zoo celebrates second baby in a year
The birth of the elephant calf is a “historic milestone” for the zoo, representing the first time in the zoo’s history that two elephant calves have been born in the same year. Rita, a 4-month-old calf, was born in July.
See baby elephant make her Columbus zoo debut
New baby elephant debuts to the public at the Columbus Zoo Monday, August 4, 2025.
The zoo said that Phoebe and the new male calf are spending their first few days bonding behind the scenes. At Phoebe’s pace, the zoo team will begin introducing the calf to the other members of the herd.
Naming of the latest elephant calf will come later.
The population of Asian elephants has declined by at least 50% over the last three generations, according to the zoo. They currently occupy 15% of their historic range due to habitat loss, degradation, and poaching.
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