An African elephant at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore named Felix gave birth
The calf is the first elephant born in the history of the 132-year-old zoo
mom, at a mere 7,490 pounds, is described as "petite." But
zookeepers say Maryland's newest African elephant -- 290 pounds and
42 inches tall -- is a whopper
Unlike polar bears and
giraffes, he noted, "a baby elephant is a baby for a long time. He'll
stay close by his mother for three, four, five years.
after a 22-month pregnancy. The infant was on his feet
in less than 30 minutes
About a third of baby
Asian elephants born in captivity die in their first year of life,
but African elephants are thought to do better.
The successful birth -- one of a handful of elephant
deliveries each year in the United States
the
third-oldest zoo in the U.S. is still a very vital institution
Felix has been a very
attentive mother
To
watch the mom put her trunk around the baby, and pull the baby close
by was really kind of fun
clipped from: www.baltimoresun.com 
