Zoo preparing for ‘baby boom’ announces fifth elephant pregnancy
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - A zoo in Kansas already expecting an “elephant baby boom” in 2025 announced a fifth elephant is pregnant.
Last year, Sedgwick County Zoo announced that four of its elephants are expecting calves in 2025. On Wednesday, the zoo announced that a fifth is pregnant.
The first birth is expected in early spring 2025.
The zoo said all of the herd’s females except for Stephanie, who is post-reproductive, are now expecting. Among the expectant mothers, Simunye, who is the mother of Titan, a beloved male elephant at the zoo, brings maternal experience to the births. Talia, Xolani, Arusi and Zuberi are all pregnant with their first offspring.
Lauren Ripple, the elephant manager for the Sedgwick County Zoo, said the process the zoo took to end up with successful pregnancies was not easy.
“We have been trying for several years,” Ripple said. “Just like humans can have problems with fertility, we weren’t getting any pregnancies. But last year we did bring in another adult bull. He was very successful at another zoo, and we will technically have to do a paternity test since we had three bulls at one time. But it’s more than likely Callie is the dad to all these potential calves.”
The elephant care team at the zoo is prioritizing the well-being of the herd during these pregnancies. The care provided includes monitoring body condition and hormones, vitamin and mineral intake and routine bloodwork to ensure optimal health.
These pregnancies hold significance for the sustainability of African elephants in North America. With the species facing challenges in the wild, the zoo said that each birth in an Association of Zoos & Aquariums accredited institution plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the future of the species.
According to the Sedgwick County Zoo, it’s highly unlikely they’ll see twins, with the chances of that happening at less than 1%. Zoo officials said they are hoping for all healthy calves; however, they would like to have the majority be females.
“Elephants, they live in a (matriarchal) society,” Ripple said. “The female calves will live with their moms their whole lives. The bulls when they turn 8 to 12 years of age will, and when hormones start increasing, they naturally get kicked out of their herd. So, here we can mimic a bachelor herd until a certain extent, and the bulls may have to move into another facility.”
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