FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Zoo added another Asian elephant to its herd last month, the zoo announced Tuesday.
Brazos the Asian elephant calf was born at 11:35 p.m. on Oct. 21, weighing in at 255 pounds and standing 37 inches tall with a 12-inch trunk. He's the fourth elephant calf born at the zoo, following the births of his mother Bluebonnet in 1998 and his aunt Belle and half-brother Bowie in 2013.
There are now eight elephants in the herd, made up of four females and four males — Rasha, Angel, Bluebonnet, Belle, Romeo, Colonel, Bowie and now Brazos.
Brazos is Bluebonnet's second calf. Bluebonnet is now 22 years old and was carefully monitored during her pregnancy, zoo officials said in a news release. Zoo officials said they gave Bluebonnet weekly blood tests to monitor progesterone levels, regular physical examinations and sonograms throughout her pregnancy. Brazos' father, Romeo, is 28 and has lived at the zoo since 2015.
Fort Worth Zoo welcomes Brazos
The zoo said that both mother and calf are doing well and are spending time together bonding behind the scenes away from spectators. Brazos is gaining about two pounds a day as he grows. Asian elephant calves can consume up to three gallons of milk a day.
For those who would like to see baby Brazos, zoo officials said there will be limited viewing hours as the calf gets acclimated to his surroundings. Upcoming cooler temperatures and future winter weather will also dictate his viewing schedule, officials said.
In April, the zoo unveiled Elephant Springs, its updated elephant exhibit and habitat that features a 400,000-gallon river, a water tower and many other water features. The new habitat is phase two of the Fort Worth Zoo’s four-part, $100-million Wilder Vision renovation campaign that started in 2016.
"It is our hope that in this new space, guests can connect with these creatures and be motivated to learn more about them and how to save their counterparts in the wild," the zoo said in a news release.