{"id":316722,"date":"2025-11-24T23:44:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T23:44:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/aerospace\/this-feisty-asian-elephant-at-the-national-zoo-is-pregnant-she-may-birth-the-first-calf-born-there-in-nearly-25-years\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T23:44:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T23:44:51","slug":"this-feisty-asian-elephant-at-the-national-zoo-is-pregnant-she-may-birth-the-first-calf-born-there-in-nearly-25-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=316722","title":{"rendered":"This \u2018Feisty\u2019 Asian Elephant at the National Zoo Is Pregnant. She May Birth the First Calf Born There in Nearly 25 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n
\n

With fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants estimated to be remaining in the wild, the Smithsonian\u2019s announcement gives hope to those working to preserve the endangered species<\/h2>\n
\n
\n
\n \"McKenzie\n <\/div>\n
\n

\n

McKenzie Prillaman<\/a><\/p>\n

– Assistant Digital Editor, Science & Innovation<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\"two\n <\/picture>
\n

Asian elephant Nhi Linh, who stands in the foreground, is pregnant. Behind her is Spike, who sired the calf.
\n Skip Brown \/ Smithsonian\u2019s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Elephant enthusiasts everywhere could receive a New Year\u2019s gift come early 2026.<\/p>\n

At the Smithsonian\u2019s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), 12-year-old Asian elephant Nhi Linh is expecting her first calf, estimated to arrive between mid-January and early March, per a statement<\/a>. The calf\u2014which would be the first born at the zoo in almost 25 years\u2014would join a herd of six, including its father, 44-year-old Spike.<\/p>\n

Fans can keep tabs on all of them via the Elephant Cam<\/a> live feed.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo add another baby to the herd, it\u2019s really going to be exciting to see that,\u201d Brandie Smith<\/a>, the director of NZCBI, tells Smithsonian<\/em> magazine. Moreover, these elephants are \u201cendangered in the wild, so this is a case where every elephant on the planet makes a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants are estimated to live in their homeland of South and Southeast Asia, and their population continues to shrink<\/a>. That\u2019s largely because of habitat loss driven by human activities, such as agriculture, mining and urbanization. Another problem is human-elephant conflict, in which the animals damage crops or other human property near their habitat, and people hurt or kill the elephants in retaliation. Solutions for the space-sharing situation aren\u2019t simple, Smith notes. \u00a0<\/p>\n

NZCBI is working to preserve the iconic species.\u00a0Spike<\/a> came to the zoo in the spring of 2018, and he is on loan from Zoo Miami. Keepers say he has a \u201claid-back, gentlemanly\u201d personality, per the statement. Nhi Linh, described as \u201cfeisty and rambunctious,\u201d and her mother, 22-year-old Trong Nhi, were gifted by the Rotterdam Zoo in the Netherlands and arrived<\/a> at NZCBI in the fall of 2022. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Nhi Linh and Spike bred as part of a Species Survival Plan<\/a> program aimed at boosting the number of Asian elephants, which is managed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Program scientists consider animals\u2019 genetics, health and temperament when making breeding recommendations. The pair bred in April 2024, and Nhi Linh\u2019s hormone levels measured through blood draws taken the following months revealed that she was pregnant.<\/p>\n

\u201cElephant pregnancies are really special,\u201d Robbie Clark, elephant manager and acting curator of Elephant Trails at NZCBI, says to Smithsonian<\/em> magazine. \u201cAsian elephants have one of the longest pregnancies of any animal.\u201d Their average gestation period is around 18 to 22 months.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Fun fact: The longest pregnancy of any land animal<\/h4>\n

While Asian elephants experience extremely long pregnancies, the record for land animals goes to their larger cousins, African elephants. The species\u2019 average gestation period lasts\u00a022 months<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Animal care staff have been meticulously tracking Nhi Linh and her fetus\u2019 progress through hormone measurements, ultrasounds and behavioral assessments, and they are cautiously optimistic for the would-be first-time mother. \u201cWe\u2019ve monitored along the way, and we knew we had a sustained, healthy pregnancy up to now,\u201d Don Neiffer<\/a>, chief veterinarian for NZCBI, tells Smithsonian<\/em>\u00a0magazine. At this point, \u201cwe\u2019re at the end game, and we\u2019re waiting for it to come out.\u201d<\/p>\n

But complications could still arise. Nhi Linh\u2019s mother, Trong Nhi, also bred with Spike in April 2024, but she miscarried.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we can do is take the information we\u2019ve earned from [Trong Nhi\u2019s] pregnancy and apply it to how we may or may not monitor in the future, and also share those details with the greater elephant community,\u201d Clark says.<\/p>\n

Staff are continuing to follow NZCBI\u2019s calf protocol, which includes plans for neonatal exams, complications and introductions of the baby and mother back to the herd, Neiffer notes. He adds that the team has all the necessary supplies and will eventually \u201cbe stepping up the round-the-clock observations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019re ready,\u201d Neiffer says. \u201cWe just don\u2019t know, again, when she\u2019s going to decide \u2018I\u2019m ready.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n