HOUSTON – After a pregnancy lasting almost 23 months, Houston Zoo officials said Shanti, a 23-year-old Asian elephant, delivered a healthy 385-pound male calf shortly after 2 a.m. Friday at the zoo's McNair Asian Elephant Habitat.
"The elephant keepers have named the calf Duncan," said Houston Zoo Large Mammal Curator Daryl Hoffman. "They like the way it sounds."
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Duncan is Shanti's fourth calf. Attended by the Houston Zoo's elephant care team and assisted by the zoo's veterinary staff, Shanti delivered the baby at 2:13 a.m. Friday, zoo officials said.
"After months of preparation and tender loving care, Shanti's labor was very brief and the delivery was quick and easy for her," said Hoffman. "The keepers helped the calf to his feet and he was standing on his own within about an hour after his birth."
Zoo officials said 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 Chief Veterinarian Dr. Joe Flanagan. "Duncan is almost 40 inches tall at the shoulder."
Elephant keepers will keep Shanti and Duncan under a 24-hour watch for the next few weeks. The zoo said the viewing windows in the barn at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat are temporarily closed to the public. The windows will reopen to the public -- possibly next week -- after the elephant care team has seen signs that Duncan is well-bonded with his mother and is comfortable in his new home, according to the zoo.