Friday, November 30, 2012

What's Cuter Than A Baby Elephant?



Duh.  Trick question.  Probably nothing is cuter than a baby elephant.  

When I visited the Portland Zoo this past October, I had the privilege of seeing the very pregnant elephant, Rose-Tu.  Pregnant animals are pretty fascinating and cute in general, but even more fascinating when their gestational period lasts from 21-24 months!  That is an awfully long time to be pregnant.    

After just 30 short hours (relatively, speaking) of labor, Rose-Tu gave birth to her little 300-pound baby elephant early this morning.  And it's a girl!  I bet nobody was happier than Rose-Tu that this little baby finally popped out.  The baby doesn't yet have a name, but the Zoo will release a list of possible names and the public will get to vote on her name.  I'm for sure going to vote!  The baby's brother, Rose-Tu's first child, is named Samudra, which means "ocean" in Sanskrit.  I think this little animal family is just too cute!  Congrats, Rose-Tu! 

If you're interested in reading more about Rose-Tu and her new arrival, you can read the full story here.