This YouTube video was produced by The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
It’s a BOY!…and we caught the first moments on camera.
In the late hours of October 21, 2025, Asian elephant Phoebe gave birth to a healthy calf in the elephant habitat’s designated birthing space behind the scenes. Weighing in at 222 pounds at birth, both baby and Mom are doing well and are under the watchful care of the Animal Care and Conservation Medicine teams.
Phoebe began showing signs of labor on October 21, and, as an experienced and confident mother, handled the birth with ease. Her care team had spent months proactively training with her to prepare for this moment, ensuring everything went smoothly when the time came.
Phoebe is continuing to show strong maternal instincts, nurturing her sixth calf with gentle care and attentiveness. To give them time to rest and bond, Mom and baby are currently behind the scenes and not yet viewable to the public. The newborn is staying close to Mom, finding its footing, and discovering the world with every tiny step.
The new calf joins a dynamic herd at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium that includes mom Phoebe, Johnson, Rudy, Frankie, Sunny, and her calf, Rita Jean, who was born on July 23, 2025. The father, Sabu, resides at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and also sired Rita Jean, making the two calves half-siblings. The baby’s introductions to the rest of the herd have already begun and have been going well.
This birth marks an extraordinary milestone for the Columbus Zoo and the Central Ohio community, with two elephant calves born at the Zoo in the same year—a first in the Zoo’s history of almost 100 years. It’s part of a coordinated effort through the Species Survival Plan® (SSP), led by The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which works to support healthy, genetically diverse populations of threatened and endangered species in professional care.
The Columbus Zoo contributes to elephant conservation in multiple ways, including participation in the SSP, leading on-the-ground conservation programs like the Center for Species Survival Asian Elephant , and hosting an on-site lab focused on research and combating Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV). These efforts help safeguard the future of this incredible species.
See the latest updates at https://www.columbuszoo.org/baby-elephant-updates
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