Pittsburgh zoo officials say African elephant calf stabilizing as recovery continues

An elephant calf born at the Pittsburgh zoo’s International Conservation Center in Somerset County over the summer is showing signs of improvement after health issues left her in dire condition.

The African elephant calf, born in July, had developed several “serious medical conditions” by September, according to officials at Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. Among other conditions, the calf was not properly gaining weight, leaving her in guarded condition.

On Friday, zoo officials wrote on social media that the calf “is showing signs of stabilizing” as she continues to recover.

The calf remains under 24-hour care and supervision, officials said, and previously responded positively to a plasma transfusion given in September. She remained in guarded condition last month, when officials gave an update noting that the calf remains active and bright between nursing and resting.

“She had a good week and mom is doing a fantastic job. We are encouraged by the current trends, however she remains in guarded condition as we continue to closely monitor her health and behavior,” Dr. Joe Gaspard, the zoo’s director of animal health, science and conservation said in October.

The calf was born July 18 at the 1,000-acre preserve in Somerset County to first-time mom Sukuri. The pregnancy – at 22 months, African elephants have the longest gestation period of any animal – went smoothly, officials said at the time.

When she was born, the calf was just under 3 feet tall and weighed just less than 220 pounds. She was born as a result of natural breeding between Sukuri and a resident bull elephant named Jackson.

African elephants are considered endangered after decades of poaching and habitat destruction, according to the International Union for Conservation and Nature. The African forest elephant is listed as critically endangered, and the African savanna elephant is listed as endangered.