How To See Oklahoma's New Baby Elephant
A few years ago, Asha and her sister Chandra were temporarily transferred from their Asian elephant home at the Oklahoma City Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo, where they could hang out with Tulsa's bull Sneezy.
The goal was two-fold. First, the OKC Zoo needed the sisters away while the zoo constructed a new Elephant Habitat. The exhibit was completed and opened to the public last month, covering 9.5 acres of the park—one of the largest Asian elephant exhibits in any US zoo. There are three yards, a pool, and multiple display platforms for the public, plus specific areas where the elephants can be viewed while they're cared for. Task completed.
Second, the hope was that Sneezy would get the girls pregnant. Here the success was 50/50, with Asha but not Chandra coming back knocked up. Fast forward to last weekend, and the zoo got to announce their first ever elephant birth, a 304-pound girl who has yet to be named. There's actually a naming contest open to the public that should launch some time tomorrow or Friday, where zoo-goers will get to pick among three choices selected by the keepers.
All three elephants are indefinitely off exhibit so they can bond in peace and quiet, although there's a livecam of the elephant barn here that sometimes shows them. In the meantime all reports are that the calf is walking around, feeding, and trumpeting in what we can only assume are brain-meltingly cute ways.
The zoo has been doing its best to keep fans of the new baby informed via an official Facebook page, and you can also skip to the picture gallery that they've posted. The Zoo's main webpage also has extra pictures and information, with the elephant birth and visiting details prominently displayed.
Daily hours are 9am to 5pm, and the zoo is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's day. Since none of those are coming up any time soon, you really have no excuse not to go.
[Photo: Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden / Facebook]
Related Stories:
· Oklahoma Zoo [Official Site]
· Oklahoma Travel [Jaunted]
· Zoo Travel [Jaunted]
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