Elephant baby media kit - Oregon Zoo

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getting to know Rose-tu Playful and highly intelligent, Rose-Tu is one of the most popular elephants in the herd. Born at the Oregon Zoo in 1994 to Me-Tu and Hugo, she was considered by keepers as one of the feistiest babies the herd had produced in years — a trait she seems to have passed on to both of her calves (see pages 3 and 12). Now 18 years old, Rose-Tu is still playful but has also matured into her role as the mother of the zoo’s third generation of elephant babies. Her birth Although zookeepers did not expect Rose-Tu’s delivery until October of 1994, mother Me-Tu began showing signs of oncoming labor at the end of August. After a threeday vigil, however, the baby still had not made its appearance. Zookeepers decided to induce labor with an injection of oxytocin, a drug similar to that used to induce birth in humans. “Once the injection was given, the labor proceeded quickly,” said Dennis Pate, zoo curator at the time. “Me-Tu began bending at her knee, and a large bulge appeared below her tail.” Nineteen minutes later, on Aug. 31, the 180-pound calf was born. She was the 26th elephant born at the zoo. The baby made attempts to stand almost immediately. After several failed attempts, she made it to her feet and stood for 21 minutes. She was nursing within an hour after birth. Later that evening, Me-Tu unexpectedly gave birth to a female twin, the first incidence of twin elephant birth in North America. The second calf was completely still after birth, and she died after a two-hour attempt by veterinary staff to keep her alive. A necropsy revealed brain damage and a collapsed lung. The name of the Rose By October, her original due date, more than 100,000 people had visited the rambunctious and spirited calf, but she still didn’t have a name. “This 175-pounder has great motor skills and is one of the most unique calves I’ve seen,” said longtime elephant keeper Roger Henneous. “She’s blowing bubbles with her trunk, skipping and acting very feisty. All she needs now is a name.” The zoo received thousands of suggestions from the public and whittled the choices down to five: Asha, Koofed, Rose-Tu, Jorda or Song. After a public vote, the calf was named Rose-Tu in honor of her mother and grandmother, Me-Tu and Rosy. Her first pregnancy From 1994 to 2005, the zoo suspended its elephantbreeding program, unable to risk the 50 percent chance the calf would be a male. At the time, the zoo lacked the space to house another bull elephant. In June of 2005, the zoo received the bull elephant Tusko on a breeding loan, and he and Rose-Tu were introduced in the fall of 2006. Rose-Tu got along well with Tusko and was receptive to his advances, and later that year she became pregnant with her first calf. After a nearly two-year gestation and 33 hours of labor, Rose-Tu gave birth to 286-pound Samudra on August 23, 2008. But having never seen a birth before, the firsttime mom nearly trampled her baby. Keepers quickly intervened, and zoo staff worked around the clock for a week to ensure the mother-calf bond became the strong one it is today. Since Rose-Tu has now experienced childbirth, keepers believe she will understand better what is happening during her second birth. Her second pregnancy In the third week of February 2011, Rose-Tu became pregnant for the second time by Tusko. Given Asian elephants’ 20- to 22-month gestation range, her new calf is expected in November or December 2012. Rose-Tu has stayed in good health and will keep an active schedule right to the day of birth. Keepers are helping by monitoring Rose-Tu’s weight — at about 7,700 pounds, she’s packed on less than 500 pounds of baby weight — and leading her through exercises that will help her deliver her calf safely. Rose-Tu’s daily workout O R E G O N Z O O P A C h y d e r m P r e s e n t 2 0 1 2 M E D I A K I T 10
getting to know Rose-tu routine includes wall climb, leg kicks, abdominal lifts, sand plows and, of course, plenty of stretching. Zoo staff are also working to create the most peaceful and calming environment possible for Rose-Tu, both before and during the birth. Last spring, for instance, the Oregon Department of Transportation agreed to temporarily halt a repaving project on Highway 26 this winter so the low-frequency rumble of grinders and pavers doesn’t distress Rose-Tu during the critical final stage of her pregnancy. In the third week of February 2011, Rose-Tu became pregnant for the second time by Tusko. Given Asian elephants’ 20- to 22-month gestation range, her new calf was expected in November or December 2012. The 300-pound calf was born at 2:17 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2012 (see page 3). Rose-Tu stayed in good health and kept an active schedule right to the day of birth. Keepers helped by monitoring Rose-Tu’s weight — at about 7,700 pounds, she packed only about 500 pounds of baby weight — and leading her through exercises to help her deliver her calf safely. Rose-Tu’s daily workout routine included wall climb, leg kicks, abdominal lifts, sand plows and, of course, plenty of stretching. Zoo staff also worked to create the most peaceful and calming environment possible for Rose-Tu, both before and during the birth. Last spring, for instance, the Oregon Department of Transportation agreed to temporarily halt a repaving project on Highway 26 this winter so the low-frequency rumble of grinders and pavers didn’t distress Rose-Tu during the critical final stage of her pregnancy. During the birth, Rose-Tu continue to have contact with her herd. Staying close to her son Samudra and other member of her herd throughout labor helped Rose-Tu stay calm and encouraged a safe delivery. Rose-Tu’s Lineage Rose-Tu’s grandmother, Rosy, was the first Asian elephant at the Oregon Zoo. In 1953, when Rosy was just 4 years old, the King of Thailand presented her as a gift to U.S. official Arthur Flegel, of Portland. Flegel then donated her to the City of Portland, which had no money to pay her transportation costs from Thailand. A campaign was launched among schoolchildren, who donated nickels and dimes to bring Rosy overseas. She was so popular with the public that voters later passed a levy to rebuild the zoo. In 1962, six months after her herd-mate Belle had given birth to Packy — the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in more than 40 years — Rosy gave birth to Me-Tu. The sire of both calves was Thonglaw, who had been born in the wild in Cambodia in 1947. Me-Tu spent her entire life at the Oregon Zoo, except for 16 months in Los Angeles on a breeding loan. She gave birth to six calves, including Rose-Tu. She died in 1996 when the calf was 17 months old. Rose-Tu’s father, Hugo, was acquired from Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1983. He sired four calves before dying unexpectedly in 2003. He was the zoo’s oldest bull elephant at the time. Keepers described him as highly intelligent, just like Rose-Tu. O R E G O N Z O O P A C h y d e r m P r e s e n t 2 0 1 2 M E D I A K I T 11
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Elephant baby media kit - Oregon Zoo

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