Oregon Zoo's Elephant Tose-Tu Gives Birth To Beautiful Calf

Oregon Zoo's Elephant Tose-Tu Gives Birth To Beautiful Calf. After more than 20 months of pregnancy, Rose-Tu, a 30-year-old Asian elephant at the Oregon Zoo, gave birth to a beautiful calf on 1 February. Saturday afternoon, staff are keeping their distance to give the pair time to bond, but the calf appears to be a healthy, strong female, weighing in the vicinity of 200 pounds. “We couldn't be happier with how everything is going so far,” said Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo's elephant program.” “This was one of the smoothest births I've ever seen. Rose knew just what to do. She helped her baby up right away. The kid was standing on her own within 15 minutes and took her first steps soon after that.” Zoo staff had been on baby watch since 29 January 2025, when Rose-Tu's progesterone levels dropped to near zero, indicating labor should begin soon. Rose experienced early labor throughout the day on Feb. 1 and began showing signs of active labor a little after 3 p.m. “Rose is a fantastic mom,” Lefave said. “She's so gentle and protective, and the calf is already nursing well”. “These are signs that they will have a strong bond, which is exactly what we want to see. We're ready to help if needed, but so far mom and baby are doing just fine on their own.”