Semba is Still Pregnant and Due Any Day
African elephant Semba is nearing the end of her pregnancy! The elephant care team is keeping an eye on Semba for any signs of labor and is hard at work babyproofing the elephant habitat. They’ve been adding sand around the habitat to make it cushier for the herd’s newest addition. At this point, Semba hasn’t shown any signs that she will go into labor soon, but we will keep you posted!
While there’s a lot we don’t know about this calf yet (like sex, weight, and personality), we do know he or she will be an important ambassador for their species. Elephants face many challenges in the wild. On average, 96 elephants are poached each day for their tusks — and the United States ranks second in the world in terms of the consumption of ivory. Climate change has affected the rains on the African savannahs, causing elephants to expand their range in search of food and water. This change has placed elephants and humans in close proximity, leading to human/wildlife conflicts. This calf will bring more attention to the species and, we hope, inspire guests to take action to ensure the protection of wild animals and wild places.
The calf will likely be born while the Zoo is still closed to the public but rest assured: there are lots of cute elephant calf photos and videos in your future! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy these updates from the elephant care team: