COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium welcomed two new baby animals.
The zoo announced the birth of an Asian elephant calf and a California sea lion pup in a press release on Thursday. The births were an important milestone because the species of the animals are at risk in their natural habitats.
Phoebe, 33, gave birth at 8:48 p.m. on Wednesday to a male Asian elephant calf after a 22-month pregnancy. Lovell, 5, gave birth to her sea lion pup early Thursday morning.
“There are so many reasons why these births are cause for celebration. Certainly, these babies are adorable, but they also represent the science, expertise, and collaboration across internal teams and other facilities as we collectively work to help protect these incredible species. A very special thanks to the staff whose hard work and dedication helped to produce these results! We are also proud to share the fantastic news of the arrivals of the elephant calf and sea lion pup with our community, and we thank everyone for their continued support so these efforts can be possible,” said interim Columbus Zoo President and CEO Jerry Borin.
The zoo shared photos of each animal on Twitter.
The elephant calf appeared to be strong and was observed nursing shortly after birth, zoo officials said in the press release.
While he currently prefers to stand closely between Phoebe’s legs, the calf is also starting to be curious of his surroundings behind the scenes in the zoo’s elephant and rhino building, officials said.
The gender of the pup has not yet been determined.
Zoo officials said the pup is already “quite active but won’t be ready for swim lessons with mom until Lovell determines her calf is ready. For now, they will continue to bond behind the scenes.”
The new pup is the third sea lion pup ever to be born at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The first sea lion pup, a female named Sunshine, was also born to Lovell on June 25, 2020, according to zoo officials.
