THREE MONTHS OLD. Asian elephant calf Linh Mai was born February 2, 2026 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C. The calf made her public debut on Earth Day. (Photo courtesy of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo)

From The Asian Reporter, V36, #5 (May 4, 2026), page 8.

Asian elephant calf Linh Mai makes her public debut at D.C.’s National Zoo

In celebration of Earth Day, Asian elephant calf Linh Mai [LIN-my] made her public debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington, D.C. Following her birth on February 2, the Elephant Community Center was closed to provide a quiet space for Linh Mai to bond with her herdmates and the elephant care team.

Her public debut last month also marked Linh Mai’s first appearance on the National Zoo’s Elephant Cam.

"Watching an elephant calf explore and interact with her herd is one of the most heartwarming and joyful experiences you can have at a zoo," said Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director of NZCBI. "We are so excited to introduce Linh Mai to our members and the public. As the first elephant born here in nearly 25 years, her birth was historic, not only for our zoo family but also for this critically endangered species."

Asian elephants are an intelligent, sensitive, and social species, so building bonds among the herd is critical to the calf’s development. The elephant care team worked hard to facilitate positive interactions between Linh Mai and her first-time mother, Nhi Linh, after she displayed some initial aggression toward the calf.

Early on, keepers worked around the clock to care for the calf and build positive relationships between her and Nhi Linh, her grandmother Trong Nhi, and her unrelated "aunties" Swarna and Bozie. These bonds are important as young elephants learn "herd smarts" by observing and mimicking their mothers, aunties, and grandmothers.

Linh Mai and the herd live at Elephant Trails, an expansive 114,000-square-foot exhibit composed of four outdoor habitats, an Elephant Exercise Trek, the Elephant Community Center, and an off-exhibit Elephant Barn. Admission to NZCBI is free. To learn more, visit <www.nationalzoo.si.edu>. To view the Elephant Cam, visit <www.nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/elephants>.