New Birth Awaited at the Columbus Zoo

Phoebe and Bodhi
Columbus Dispatch
March 1, 2009

Think your pregnancy was tough?

Imagine it lasting 22 months and ending with the delivery of a 300-pound baby.

That's the reality for Phoebe, the Asian elephant who's about to deliver her second calf at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

But although the gestation period is long and the baby huge, Phoebe's not unlike pregnant humans in many ways.

She has gained a bit too much weight, for one thing, said assistant curator Harry Peachey, who is in charge of the elephants. About 500 to 600 pounds would be optimal; she has packed on about 750.

Her blood was tested weekly, then every other day. Soon, it will be tested every day to check her progesterone level.

Doctors peek at the baby through ultrasounds at least once a week, gelling up Phoebe's belly to get a glimpse of a baby trunk, a clear heartbeat and maybe a rib or two. The baby's too big for doctors to see the whole package at once.

To keep her well-toned for the birth, Phoebe's on an exercise regimen - mostly walking - with keepers.

"We're all on pins and needles about the birth," said zoo veterinarian Michael Barrie. If all goes well, Phoebe's baby will be the second live elephant born in the zoo's history.

Peachey said that only a handful of Asian elephants are born in North American zoos each year, and sometimes none at all. About a third die before age 10. So each birth causes quite a stir.

"We've already started getting e-mails from people who want to know when she's delivering," Peachey said late last week as Phoebe strolled around her indoor living area.

"People are fascinated with elephants."

As soon as Phoebe's progesterone reaches a certain level, she'll be on a "mommy cam" so volunteers can watch her behavior 24 hours a day and alert keepers if they see signs of labor such as leg-stretching, lying down and getting up, lifting her tail and swatting her rear legs with her trunk.

When veterinarians think delivery is a few days away, Peachey and several other keepers will start sleeping just outside the elephant quarters.

"We're fairly certain the birth will be in the early morning," Peachey said. Usually, it happens between 2 and 4 a.m., he said. And it's usually quick: her hard labor with calf Bohdi, born in 2004, was only 20 minutes.

This calf will be the third for Phoebe, who was born in 1987; she had her first at another zoo. Bohdi also is still at the Columbus zoo, as is his father, Coco.

"She's young and healthy; we can expect this birth to go the same as the others," Peachey said. "It might very well be that we could leave her and come back, and there would be a baby, but that would be irresponsible of us."

Phoebe will stand as she delivers. The calf will drop onto the floor, and keepers will remove it briefly to check its vital signs. Then, after making sure Phoebe is calm, they'll return the newborn and watch to make sure it nurses and can stand.

If all is well, baby and mom will be back in their regular home about a week later, and both will be visible part of the day to visitors.

Peachey expects plenty of them.

Courtesy of Joey Ratliff