Baby Elephant Expected At Houston Zoo

HOUSTON, TX — There are not many things as cute as a baby elephant, and there's going to be a ton of cuteness at the Houston Zoo later this summer. Shanti, one of the zoo's eight Asian elephants, is expecting, and if all goes as planned, she'll give birth to a baby soon.

Shanti, already mother to 3-year-old Duncan and 7-year-old Baylor, is receiving regular monitoring and check-ups, including ultrasounds and blood tests, and is, according to zoo officials, in good health.

“All of our zoo staff looks forward to any baby born here,” Lisa Marie Avendano, vice president of animal operations at the Houston Zoo, said in a statement. “But with the opening of our new elephant addition, this is a particularly exciting time to welcome a 250-to-300-pound Asian elephant calf into our zoo family. The beautifully designed expansion and our continued breeding program demonstrates the Houston Zoo’s commitment to the health and welfare of our herd and our mission to saving species in the wild.”

— Image: A trainer at the Houston Zoo trains Shanti, left, and her calf, Baylor. (Houston Zoo)

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