FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s a boy! The Fort Worth Zoo celebrated the birth of an Asian elephant calf in February 2022.
The healthy 37-inch-tall, 270-pound baby boy was born at 2 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, officials said. His name was finally revealed on April 4, 2023 during his debut in the Elephant Springs habitat -- Travis!
Officials said this is the fifth calf born at the Fort Worth Zoo, which follows the birth of his half-brother Brazos in 2021, his mother Belle in 2013, Bowie in 2013 (who now resides at Oklahoma City Zoo), and his aunt Bluebonnet in 1998.
So, baby Travis adds to the three generations of elephants at the zoo – mimicking how herds are established in the wild, Fort Worth Zoo said.
This was the first birth for the calf’s mother, Belle, who is now 9.5 years old. She was carefully monitored with weekly blood tests, physical examinations and sonograms. The calf’s father, Romeo, is 30 years old and has lived at the zoo since 2015, officials said.
Both the new little bundle of joy and his mother did well following the birth. The zoo said they bonded behind-the-scenes of the elephant habitat.
“The initial bonding between an elephant calf, its mother, and family unit is vital to a successful rearing,” Fort Worth Zoo said in a news release.
“It is our hope that in Elephant Springs guests can connect with these creatures and be motivated to learn more about them and how to save their counterparts in the wild,” said the Fort Worth Zoo.
Elephant Springs opened in April 2021 as the second phase of Fort Worth Zoo’s master plan. The third phase, which will feature big cat species, is currently under construction and set to open this year.
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