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Baby Elephant "Baylor"
There's lots of videos of Baylor on the Houston Zoo's YouTube Channel.
IT’S A BOY!
Shanti and Baby Baylor Doing Fine at the Houston Zoo
After a pregnancy lasting almost 23 months, Shanti, a 19-year-old Asian elephant, delivered a healthy 348-pound male calf Tuesday morning at the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. The calf has been named Baylor by the Zoo’s elephant care team in recognition of the unprecedented and ongoing advances made by Baylor College of Medicine’s research team to significantly reduce the threat of a potentially lethal elephant herpes virus.Shanti began exhibiting signs of labor around 10:30 Monday night. Attended by the Houston Zoo’s elephant care team and assisted by the Zoo’s veterinary staff, Shanti delivered the baby at 9:32 a.m. on Tuesday, May 4. “After months of preparation and tender loving care, the delivery was actually quick and easy for Shanti,” said Large Mammal Curator Daryl Hoffman. “The keepers helped Baylor get to his feet and he was standing on his own within about 2 hours after his birth,” added Hoffman.
“Baylor started nursing at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday,” said Hoffman. “This little elephant has a very good appetite. In the first 90 minutes after his first meal we saw him nurse more than 10 times,” added Hoffman.
Immediately after the calf was born, the elephant care team and the Zoo’s veterinary staff performed a neonatal exam. “We weighed and measured the calf and took a blood sample,” said Houston Zoo Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Joe Flanagan. Elephant keepers will keep Shanti and Baylor under a 24-hour watch for the next few weeks. The barn at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat is temporarily closed to the public but will reopen after the elephant care team can see signs that Baylor has his “sea legs” and is comfortable in his new home. Baylor is Shanti’s third calf.
The 8 members of the Houston Zoo’s elephant care team, assisted by the Zoo’s veterinarians and veterinary staff and a core group of Zoo volunteers, have been monitoring Shanti closely for the past 11 months. The routine intensified over the past 12 weeks with regular ultrasounds to monitor the baby’s health and blood work to gauge the mother’s progesterone level. Throughout the delivery, Shanti was attended by the entire elephant care team and assisted by all 4 Zoo veterinarians and 3 of the Zoo hospital’s veterinary technicians.
More than 50 volunteers and Zoo staff began a seven-day a week, 24-hour birth watch in late February. Utilizing a state of the art closed-circuit television system, the birth watch team observed and documented Shanti’s behavior. When blood tests indicated Shanti’s progesterone level had fallen to a low baseline level, Zoo veterinarians and members of the elephant care team remained at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat around the clock watching for indications that labor had begun.
For more info about our elephants, read our Trunk Tales Blog.
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Birth Preparation Time Line 2008-2010
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Weekly progesterone monitoring begins
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June 20, 2008
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Weekly ultrasounds begin
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Dec. 8, 2009
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Birth watch volunteer training
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Feb. 10
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Twice weekly progesterone monitoring begins
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Feb. 10
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Birth watch begins with Zoo volunteers
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Feb. 20
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Twice weekly ultrasounds begin
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Feb. 21
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Daily progesterone monitoring begins
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Mar. 10
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Ultrasound frequency increased to three times per week
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Mar. 10
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Elephant keepers join birth watch schedule
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Mar. 10
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Comments for Baby Elephant "Baylor":
Total Comments: 29
I'm 6 years old. I love elephants!And I think that he is very cute. Thats for the videos of them.
I like baby Baylor. I would like to touch him. (Dad typing message for 2 yr old daughter.)
Just got back from the zoo where we saw baby Baylor he is adorable and playful for a 20 day old baby.
So excited!. Can't wait to bring my son to see him.
I love the way little newborn animals play. I thought it is cute to watch the baby elephants try to figure out what to do with their nose swinging it all around and wondering what it is.
I love it! Thank you Baylor doctors for being there...my wish is for good health for the new bouncing baby boy! I missed the baby shower so a gift will be coming to him.
He's so cute!
Congratulations to all! Elephants and their babies are just great. Greetings from Germany. :) P.S. We had two elephant babies at Hanover Zoo on May 7 (girl) and May 11 (boy). And expect another three babies this year.
I am so excited to see Baylor! What a big boy! I am sure i will visit the zoo soon:)
Congrats, what wonderful work you all are doing!!!
Congrats he is soooooo cute! Long life baby Baylor :)
Congratulations! We were just at the zoo on Sunday. I guess we'll have to make another trip to see the baby boy :-)
What a miracle! Thrilled for everyone.
He is cute! and really big :)
he is a new hope and I wish him all my best
congradulations on the new baby and i was just in houston and missed seeing him
Congrats Shanti on the new baby. Welcome to the world little Baylor.
CONGRATULATIONS! So happy that Shanti and Baylor are fine! Thaks to all the staff for doing this great job! i can't express my happiness!
Good job to everyone who helped create this joyful moment for now all the public to see.
Congratulations, Shanti! We can't wait to meet your baby boy. And congrats to the entire elephant team and other zoo staffers who are taking such wonderful care of Mama and Baby. Thanks for your hard work!
Welcome Baby Baylor. We can't wait to see you. We were there today hoping you were born. Stay healthy, strong,and enjoy your new home and family.
I have a 5 year old grandson named Baylor and he is so excited that this new baby elephant is at his zoo and wants to know when he can go see him?
Baylor is precious! We can't wait to meet him in person.
My kids are so excited about Baylor! They can't wait to make a trip to the Zoo and see him! Congrats!!!
Greetings to Baylor! I am so happy that we have another baby elephant at the zoo!
Congratulations to mother and staff! Welcome to Houston, little Baylor Boy! Prayers and wishes for a happy and healthy life!
Congratulations to everyone involved in this momentous occasion for the Houston Zoo! :-)
How wonderful to see Shanti and BAYLOR! As a former Zoo staffer and a current BCM employee, its great to see how we are working together to make sure these majestic gentle creatures have a chance at a healthy life...So L'chaim to a LONG and HEALTHY LIFE Baby Baylor!!
For a minute there it looked like baby Ganesh. Great job, fine looking animal. Congratulations to all.