Hundreds of visitors gathered outside Tembo Trail on March 16 as the Toledo Zoo unveiled its new elephant calf to the public.
The calf was born on Feb. 17 to African elephant Renee through a process of artificial insemination (AI). A male from the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas was chosen as the father.
“It took months of coordination working with our partners in the field,” said Michael Frushour, the zoo’s general curator of endotherms in a statement. “It takes a special team of experts to perform an elephant AI, and we prioritized working with the best professionals within the United States and from around the world to make sure that happened.”
The zoo held a naming contest to select a name for the newborn calf. The winning name, Kirk, was chosen by the public.
The zoo’s Director of Public Relations, Jen Brassil, said the zoo is grateful for the public’s support.
“It’s truly moving to see the success of our efforts and we’re grateful for the outpour of support that we’ve received,” she said in the statement. “The arrival of Kirk has brought immense joy to our zoo and he’s sure to charm all that visit him.”
Brassil also said holding a contest like the one used recently is a way for the zoo and community to collaborate together.
“By joining our efforts in a fun way, we hope to inspire the Toledo Zoo community and beyond to join us in our mission to conserve the natural world.”
One of the zoo’s missions is to preserve animals and species like Kirk and his family, something Frushour said is essential.
“Preserving the future of this species is critical to us, and we are committed to doing so,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the new calf joining our herd, and we’re optimistic that he will fit in just fine.”
BG Falcon Media reporter Andrew Kish was in attendance for the elephant’s public debut and observed the hundreds-person-deep crowd anxiously waiting in line with excitement for their chance to spend a few minutes with Kirk and his mother, Renee.
If you’d like to see the new elephant on your next visit to the zoo, staff members ask the public to be patient as only 20 guests will be permitted inside the Tembo Trail exhibit at a time. No flash photography is permitted, and noise must be kept to a minimum.
The exhibit is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
