Rose-Tu’s baby has a name! The young Asian elephant calf, born at the Oregon Zoo Feb. 1, will henceforth be known as Tula-Tu, a name chosen by care staff to reflect both her individual character and significance to the herd.
“We’ve been giving Rose and her baby plenty of room to bond so it took a while before we were 100% sure she’d had a girl,” said Steve Lefave, who oversees the zoo’s elephant area. “Once we’d confirmed it, keepers came up with a name that suits her well and is also fun to say.”
Tula means “balance” in Sanskrit, according to Lefave, and aptly describes the harmony and stability this new baby adds to the herd — not to mention her ability to stand on her own within minutes of being born. Keepers added the -Tu suffix in honor of the young elephant’s matrilineal ancestors: her mom, Rose-Tu, and grandmother, Me-Tu.
“Asian elephants live in matrilineal family groups, and each new member is so important — not just to the mom but to everyone in the herd,” Lefave said.
Tula can also mean “weight,” and in addition to confirming the young calf’s sex, keepers got a quick estimate of how much she weighs: around 210 pounds.
“Tula’s nursing well and growing fast,” Lefave said. “Rose has been ‘eating for two’ for quite some time now, and when her baby was born, we increased her diet to support lactation. We’ve added some alfalfa to the menu recently, and she has been loving it.”
It might take a little more time before the elephants are comfortable with visitors, Lefave says, but he hopes folks will be able to see Tula and company in the zoo’s Forest Hall soon.
“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.
“Tula isn’t the only tiny elephant we’re caring for,” Lefave said. “In Borneo, which is home to the world’s smallest and rarest elephants, our partnership with the Wildlife Rescue Unit means more wildlife rangers are working to protect rescued calves and reunite them with their families.”
Source: Oregon Zoo