Toledo Zoo Shares Stunning Behind-the-Scenes Footage of Elephant Giving Birth

Every new life is worth celebrating, no matter what species they are or where they are born. Those who have witnessed a birth can attest to just how special the occasion is! Whether calm or chaotic, birth is a life-changing event for more than just the new family.

Just ask the ecstatic zookeepers at Ohio's Toledo Zoo! The team of elephant caretakers recently celebrated a 'career highlight' as they watched their mama elephant, Renee, give birth to a healthy and adorable baby boy. As if that wasn't exciting enough, they're now sharing the footage with eager zoo fans. The baby was born on February 17, and he's already becoming so popular. It's easy to see why--he's precious!

Aww--Congratulations, Renee! Your baby boy is absolutely perfect, and it's so impressive to see him up and walking just 30 minutes after being born. You must be so proud!

Related: Toledo Zoo Shares The Final Stages of Their Elephant's Pregnancy and It's So Exciting

Clearly, the Toledo Zoo zookeeping staff couldn't be more proud of this new family. It takes a lot of work and effort to keep a mama and baby elephant healthy throughout gestation, but thanks to everyone's dedication, things went off without a hitch. The baby African Elephant arrived safely and easily, and Mama went straight to work caring for him. What could be better?

As precious as this moment is, many viewers were shocked, to say the least, at the way the calf dropped to the floor when he was born. Well--that's nature for you! It would be the same for human babies if someone wasn't there to catch them, but I'll admit, too, that thud startled me! But Mom and baby are A-OK, and that's all that matters in the end.

Good Things Take Time

When the zoo volunteers and staff say that this birth was a long time coming, they're not kidding. Humans are used to a 40-week gestation period (give or take) but when it comes to elephants, moms-to-be need to be a lot more patient.

African elephants are the largest land animal on Earth, and that directly reflects in their gestation time. After all, developing a larger baby takes a longer time! The gestation period of this African animal is a whopping 22 months, which means Renee had been pregnant for nearly two years. After learning this, my admiration for her has practically doubled! She is truly an amazing mother, and her family will bring so much education to zoo visitors in Ohio.

Guests who want to meet the unnamed baby will have the chance to do so on April 6, when the zoo holds its Elephant Baby Bash. Make sure to keep up with the zoo for more information!

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