Elephant Calf Update: Building Bonds Among the National Zoo's Herd

This update was written by Tony Barthel, director of Animal Care.  

Ever since we welcomed our newest Asian elephant calf—the first in nearly 25 years—Feb. 2, our days have been full of incredible “firsts.” Every moment spent with her has been memorable and rewarding, from watching her take her first wobbly steps to fostering introductions with her herdmates.  

Over the past 10 days, the elephant team has been working around the clock to care for the calf and build positive relationships between her and Nhi Linh (her mother), Trong Nhi (her grandmother) and Bozie (her unrelated “auntie”).  Elephants are highly social, intelligent and develop strong bonds with one another. Young elephants get their “herd smarts” by observing and mimicking their mothers, aunties and grandmothers. 

Shortly after Nhi Linh delivered the calf, she exhibited some behaviors that caused us to move the newborn to an adjacent enclosure for her safety. Nhi Linh has never experienced a birth, nor had she interacted with a calf before. It is quite common for first-time moms to need help being receptive to their calf.  

Ideally, an Asian elephant mother and her calf would gently explore one another, and she would have nursed the newborn. In this instance, Nhi Linh swung her trunk, kicked her feet and threw hay. Nhi Linh’s behaviors showed us she was not ready to safely share space with the newborn. 

Nhi Linh appears to be recovering well post-partum. She is with Trong Nhi and Bozie, and they are helping settle her and guide her through this process. Bozie, as an experienced mother, is helping her herdmates sort out the calf’s role in their lives. She has had a significant positive impact, and the concerning behaviors we noted previously have decreased significantly each day.   

A “howdy” wall between the enclosures allows the calf, Nhi Linh, Bozie and Trong Nhi to interact safely. They are able to see, smell and hear one another at all times. During the day, when keepers are present in the Barn, the elephants have the ability to reach out and touch each other with their trunks, if they so choose.  

The calf is very curious about the adults and often stands within a few feet, watching and vocalizing.  Keepers closely monitor these interactions throughout the day and offer the adults positive reinforcement (hay and other food items) for behaving in a calm and gentle manner.   

One of the goals we’re working toward is encouraging Nhi Linh to nurse her calf. In the meantime, the Zoo’s nutrition team provided us with a milk-replacement formula designed for elephants. Keepers feed her a bottle every two hours. Based on her weight, our nutritionist makes adjustments to the amount of formula we feed. After most bottles, she sleeps for about 45 minutes. During the day, she may sleep for shorter periods, especially when there is more activity going on around her.  

We are already getting glimpses into the calf’s personality. Although it is still emerging, she is confident and eager to interact with us and the other elephants. For such a tiny calf, she is capable of making some “big girl” vocalizations, which reverberate throughout the elephant habitat. She makes her feelings known when she is hungry, startled, frustrated, in need of a nap, or if she just wants attention.  When the calf vocalizes, Nhi Linh reliably answers with a deep rumble. Occasionally, Trong Nhi and Bozie will respond as well. This is encouraging, as communication is key to their bonding.   

Our team continues to build good social interactions among the elephants. All seem to show keen interest and curiosity in one another, which is encouraging. However, there are a few key milestones we want to reach before we open the howdy door and allow them to share space. The first significant step would be for the adults to gently explore the calf with their trunks during the howdy intros. We would also like to see the calf seek out interactions with all of the adults, but especially Nhi Linh. In turn, it is important that the adults increasingly encourage those interactions and respond positively to them.  

To allow a quiet space for the elephants to bond, the Elephant Community Center remains closed to the public. If you visit the Zoo, you may be able to see Spike (the calf’s father), Maharani and Swarna exploring the outdoor Elephant Trails habitats. Meantime, you can connect with our elephants from home by helping us name our new calf!