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A close-up of the calf. Zoo New England<\/p>\nBut after receiving intensive medical care, including several plasma transfusions, the calf learned to nurse from a bottle and was taken back to the zoo on Aug. 19. <\/p>\n
The 7-foot-tall calf was later reintroduced to his mother, named Amari, which proved a lengthy and complicated process because the pair had been separated for so long, Dr. Malu Celli, vice president of animal care at Zoo New England, said Friday. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t have a normal mother and calf bond,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s not uncommon for animals to sort of move on.\u201d <\/p>\n
But after several weeks of overseen visits, Amari is now \u201cnuzzling, licking, smelling, and guiding the calf around their shared space,\u201d zoo officials said this week. <\/p>\n
Celli said Amari has learned to treat the calf as another \u201cmember of the herd,\u201d if not her offspring. <\/p>\n
\u201cShe was, in the end, accepting of him, and not aggressive or pushing him away,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s just not the same frequency and zeal that a mother would have.\u201d <\/p>\n
The calf doesn\u2019t have the same reserve, Celli said, and follows Amari around the enclosure, modeling his behaviors after hers.<\/p>\n
A close-up of the calf. Zoo New England<\/p>\n
Zookeepers are now working on getting the calf better acquainted with his father, named Chad, whom the calf sees \u201con a regular basis,\u201d Celli said.<\/p>\n
\u201cChad has several calves, so I hope it\u2019s not going to be different,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s our next step.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the meantime, the calf is eating heartily and is doing \u201creally well\u201d with its training, Celli said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe use a jingle bell to call him over,\u201d she said. \u201cEven when they\u2019re out on exhibit, which is quite large, he\u2019s still learned to associate the jingle bell with food.\u201d<\/p>\n
The zoo is holding an auction for people to bid on possible names for the calf. The auction, which closes Sept. 28, can be found at www.zoonewengland.org.<\/a><\/p>\n