Mlilo, a female elephant at the Dallas Zoo, gave birth to a 290-pound male calf on Feb. 26, named Okubili on March 17, according to a WFAA article. They say,
“The Dallas Zoo announced the birth of its newest 290-pound family member: A newborn African elephant was born to Mlilo on Feb. 26.
The zoo said that the baby elephant, who is a boy, was born just before 2:30 a.m. after a gestation period of 22 months. This is the second calf for Mlilo.
The zoo announced the baby elephant’s name on March 17: Okubili (oh-coo-BEE-lee).”
The elephants will stay behind the scenes before being introduced, according to an Aol article. They say,
““We found out that she was pregnant in 2021 and we were all very excited,” said Ashley Winslett, assistant zoological manager of elephants at the Dallas Zoo. “Mlilo has done great and throughout this whole process everyone has been able to form a stronger bond with Mlilo.”
Mlilo was pregnant for 22 months, according to Winslett. She also birthed an elephant in 2017 named Ajabu.
Mlilo and the new baby will “stay behind the scenes still for several weeks” before being in their habitat, according to zoo officials. The baby’s name will be announced next week.”
The Dallas Zoo’s new baby elephant is named Okubili, which means “two” or “duplicate” in Zulu, reflecting his resemblance to his mother. The mother and calf are currently behind the scenes.
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