POWELL – On the eve of Father’s Day, the staff at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium are celebrating two new moms after the births of an Asian elephant calf and a California sea lion pup this week.
The male Asian elephant calf was born on Wednesday at 8:48 p.m. to 33-year-old Phoebe in the zoo’s Asia Quest region, officials said.
Phoebe was artificially inseminated, a relatively rare procedure for elephants, which is most successful in African elephants though Phoebe had previously been impregnated successfully through the process in 2016, zoo officials said.
As an experienced mother, Phoebe is providing exceptional care to the calf, which appears to be strong and is starting to be curious of his surroundings and he continues to test out his trunk, zoo staff members said.
The sea lion pup was born to Lovell, who will be turning 6 years old in July.
The sex of the pup has not yet been determined and, while it is quite active, zoo officials say it won’t be ready for swim lessons with mom until Lovell determines it is.