Shine together: Elephant calf meets Sung-Surin

Trumpeting could be heard throughout Elephant Lands Wednesday afternoon as Rose-Tu introduced her new calf to Sung-Surin, also known as Shine. At 42, Shine is the oldest member of the herd. The three elephants greeted one another, touched trunks and shared a snack — hay for Rose-Tu and Shine, with a side of milk for the calf. 

“Asian elephants live in family groups, and each new member is so important — not just to the mom but to everyone in the herd,” said Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo’s elephant program. “Shine will be an auntie and mentor to this baby, so it’s wonderful to see them bonding already.”

The other members of the elephant family will get to meet Rose’s new calf in the coming weeks. Lefave says care staff are thrilled with how things are going so far.

“Having a new calf in the family is exciting for the entire herd,” Lefave said. “Every elephant will have a role to play in caring for the baby.” 

After more than 20 months of pregnancy, Rose-Tu gave birth to her new calf on Saturday, Feb. 1. Staff are keeping their distance to give the pair time to bond, but the baby 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,” Lefave said. “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.”

Veterinary staff have yet to conduct their first check-up, but once Rose and her calf are ready, they’ll weigh the baby and confirm its sex. Based on their observations so far though, everything is going very well. 

“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.”

It might take a little time before the new baby is ready for visitors, Lefave says, but once they’re feeling comfortable, they’ll spend time in Forest Hall, where guests can catch a glimpse of the smallest member of the herd.                                                                                                                  

“We want to make sure the calf continues to do well, and that Rose-Tu is calm and comfortable with people around,” Lefave said. “And we also want to give the baby a chance to bond with the rest of the elephant family.”

Considered highly endangered in their range countries, Asian elephants are threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans and disease. It’s estimated that just 40,000 to 50,000 of them remain in fragmented populations from India to Borneo, and their home range overlaps with some of the most populous human areas on the planet — 20% of people worldwide live in or next to Asian elephant habitat.

The Oregon Zoo is recognized worldwide for its elephant care program, which has spanned more than 60 years. The zoo supports a broad range of efforts to help wild elephants and has established a $1 million endowment fund supporting Asian elephant conservation.