PREVIEW

Houston Zoo staff are extra delighted this U.S. Mother’s Day as their Asian elephant Shanti is a mum-to-be! The pregnant pachyderm, 33, is expected to give birth at the end of 2024 and has actually been pregnant a while before showing as the average gestation for an elephant is approximately 659 days or 22 months. The father is 58-year-old Asian elephant, Thailand. The calf’s sex will remain a surprise for all as ultrasounds are not able to determine the gender. Shanti is an experienced mum and very attentive to her calves as she watches over them closely. Guests at the zoo already fawn over Shanti with her two youngest, Nelson (4) and Joy (6), in the elephant habitat. By tracking Shanti’s hormone levels, the zoo’s veterinary team is optimistic about the progression of the pregnancy. When she’s ready, Shanti will give birth in the Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant habitat cow barn under the supervision of her keepers and veterinary team. Once the calf is born, Shanti and her newborn will undergo post-natal exams and bond as mother and child before joining the rest of the herd.