"The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC, announced today that one of its Asian elephants, Nhi Linh (pronounced NEE-lin), is pregnant and could give birth to the first baby calf born at the facility in nearly a quarter century. If the pregnancy continues on track, the calf should be born between mid-January and early March. According to a press release, the zoo's 44-year-old male elephant, Spike, mated with 12-year-old Nhi Linh in April 2024."
"A matchmaker of sorts sparked the idea: The Association of Zoos and Aquariums has a Species Survival Plan, and its studbook keeper analyzes such factors as lineage and temperament to recommend breeding pairs that will diversify and strengthen the gene pool. The match worked: Nhi Linh, who is feisty and rambunctious, according to the press release, is smitten with Spike, who has a laid-back, gentlemanly' attitude."
Nhi Linh, a 12-year-old Asian elephant at the Smithsonian National Zoo, is pregnant and expected to give birth between mid-January and early March 2026. The calf was sired by 44-year-old Spike, who mated with Nhi Linh in April 2024; Asian elephants gestate for 18 to 22 months. Spike arrived at the zoo in 2018 on loan from a Miami zoo after time at Busch Gardens. Nhi Linh and her mother Trong Nhi came to the zoo in 2022 from Rotterdam Zoo to facilitate breeding. The breeding pair followed the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan to diversify the gene pool. The zoo’s herd includes five females.
Read at washingtonian.com
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