Nebraska zoo announces African elephant is pregnant; baby due next year

OMAHA, Neb. — A Nebraska zoo’s elephant herd will soon add another member.

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According to KMTV and WOWT, the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha announced Thursday that African elephant Claire, 12, is pregnant. The zoo’s CEO, Dennis Pate, said bull elephant Callee fathered the calf, who is due in February, the news outlets reported.

The sex of the baby probably won’t be revealed until after the calf is born, according to KMTV.

The pregnancy news came five years after the zoo welcomed Claire and five other elephants following a rescue mission in Eswantini, the country formerly known as Swaziland, the zoo said.

“Happy Five-Year Eleversary to the ladies of our herd!” the zoo wrote in a Facebook post. “It all began on March 11, 2016, when the elephants arrived safely from drought-stricken Swaziland as part of an ongoing rescue mission. And now, we celebrate how far they’ve come, the bonds they share with one another and their keepers, the growth of the herd and a very special announcement: Claire is expecting!”

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Cox Media Group