It's a boy! Whoops, it's a girl!
The Toledo Zoo's African elephant calf, born in mid-February, now weighs 439 pounds, up from about 240 pounds on its first day of life at the zoo.
In addition, the elephant's name has been changed from Kirk to Kirkja. It was first thought to be a male when it was born to mom Renee and dad Titan, from Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kan.
As the herd's matriarch, Renee is renowned for her gentle and cooperative spirit, making her the preferred elephant for initiating new keepers into training. She enjoys watermelon and wallowing on warm days and cleverly uses objects like stumps and balls to access food, illustrating her adaptability and intelligence.
It is difficult to identify the sex of an elephant as its reproductive organs are internal, according to zoo staff, who have been carefully monitoring the calf's growth.
"It has been an active spring," said Michael Frushour, curator of endotherms.
"Identifying the sex of an elephant is a complex process," he said on Facebook. "We are overjoyed ... She gets to stay here for the foreseeable future."
If Kirkja had been a male, he would have had to leave at sexual maturity to form his own herd. As a female, she will be able to remain at the Toledo Zoo, according to Mr. Frushour.
In addition to Renee and the newborn calf, the zoo is also home to two other elephants, Twiggy and Ajani.
First Published May 18, 2024, 12:41 p.m.