Another calf is expected to join the herd in Sanctuary Asia in 2026; the sixth Asian elephant to be born at the OKC Zoo.

 

Fans of baby Xerxes, the Asian elephant calf born June 17, 2025, at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden, will be excited to hear that a new playmate is expected to join the herd in September 2026 as elephant Asha is pregnant.

“Asha’s about 10 months into her pregnancy,” said Rachel Boyd, OKC Zoo’s curator of elephants. “We are all feeling cautiously optimistic given Asha’s most recent pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage. She is healthy and with support of the veterinary care team we are monitoring her and the calf with regular ultrasounds, and everything looks good.”

Pregnancies for both Asha (30) and her daughter Achara (10) were announced in 2024, but Asha suffered a miscarriage later that year. Thankfully, Achara’s pregnancy proceeded without complications, giving the world Xerxes, the first male Asian elephant born at the OKC Zoo.

“The excitement surrounding Xerxes’ arrival has been palpable and we’re looking forward to seeing two young elephant calves growing and playing together,” said OKC Zoo Executive Director and CEO Dwight Lawson. “The people of Oklahoma love the Asian elephants in our care and we hope to inspire them to care and contribute to ensure Asian elephants in the wild continue to thrive, as well.”

The OKC Zoo’s elephant group spans three generations with the birth of Xerxes and includes Asha and daughters Achara, Kairavi (6) and Rama (3), as well as Asha’s sister Chandra (29), and males Kandula (23) and Bowie (11).

 Bowie arrived at the OKC Zoo in 2023 from the Fort Worth Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas as part of a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for Asian elephants and is Xerxes’ father. Another male Asian elephant, Kandula, arrived at the Zoo in 2015, also on a breeding recommendation. AZA’s SSP programs are cooperatively managed programs to oversee species populations within AZA accredited zoos and aquariums.

Asha was recommended to breed with both Bowie and Kandula. As such, the identity of the calf’s father will be determined after the calf is born by a blood test.

Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals at 22 months from conception to birth, so Asha is still in the early stages of her pregnancy. Newborn elephants can weigh 200-300 pounds at birth and are standing within minutes of being born.

Asian elephants are an endangered species facing decreasing populations due to habitat loss and human-elephant conflict. The Oklahoma City Zoo leads conservation research efforts to understand and address human-elephant conflict through its organization, the Sri Lanka Elephant Project (SLEP). The OKC Zoo is currently the only AZA zoo in Sri Lanka leading research on wild Asian elephants. Zoo conservation scientist Dr. Chase LaDue is the founder and executive director of SLEP, which studies the impact of human activity on the behavior, social relationships, and health outcomes in Asian elephants. The Sri Lanka Elephant Project is primarily funded by the OKC Zoo’s Round Up for Conservation Program.

The OKC Zoo works with global conservation partners and supports ongoing research to ensure a sustainable future for the species. The Zoo has contributed more than $520,000 in support of elephant conservation in the last 15 years, including SLEP. A number of the projects in Asia supported by the Zoo work to mitigate human-elephant conflict, prevent poaching, and reduce habitat encroachment. More information about SLEP and their innovative conservation work is available on their website lankaelephants.org.

The Zoo takes part in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan® (SSP) for Asian elephants and is a partner of the Asian Elephant SAFE: Saving Animals From Extinction program

The Oklahoma City Zoo’s regular daytime hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with the last entry at 4 p.m. Avoid the entry lines and purchase advance Zoo admission tickets online at okczoo.org/tickets. Located at the crossroads of I-44 and I-35, the OKC Zoo is a proud member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the American Alliance of Museums, and Oklahoma City’s Adventure District.

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