Zoo welcomes baby elephant

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The Oklahoma City Zoo is welcoming the birth of an elephant.

Zoo officials say Asha, a 19-year-old Asian elephant, gave birth Monday afternoon to a 332-pound female calf after a nearly two-year-long pregnancy.

Zoo veterinarian Jennifer D’Agostino says Asha and her as-yet-unnamed calf are doing fine.

D’Agostino says the elephant calf is strong and slightly bigger than the 309 pounds that Asha’s other calf, Malee, weighed when she was born three years ago. Many Asian elephants are under 300 pounds at birth.

The average time for an elephant gestation is about 22 months. Asha reached that mark last week, making the Oklahoma City Zoo calf slightly overdue.

The latest calf was sired by Rex, an Asian elephant that resides at the zoo. Malee’s father, Sneezy, resides at the Tulsa Zoo.