One of the Oregon Zoo’s Asian elephants, Rose-Tu, is pregnant, according to zoo officials. The 17-year-old pachyderm, which gave birth to Samudra in 2008, is expected to deliver another member of the zoo’s celebrated elephant family in late 2012.

Keepers believe conception occurred the last week of February, when they observed significant breeding activity between Rose-Tu and Tusko, the 13,000-pound, 40-year-old bull elephant that is also the father of Samudra. The gestation period for Asian elephants is 20 to 22 months.

"The birth of a new calf is an incredibly enriching event in these animals’ lives," said Mike Keele, the zoo’s director of elephant habitats and one of North America’s leading Asian elephant experts. "Elephants live in matriarchal herds, and if all goes as we hope, the entire herd will bond around this new baby and help care for him or her, just as they have with Samudra."

Keele cautions it is still quite early in Rose-Tu’s pregnancy, and that the birth of a healthy baby is no sure thing.

"We’re hopeful for the best, but there are definitely risks involved," Keele said. "There can be complications for both mother and calf. A calf may be stillborn or get lodged in the birth canal. As always, we’ll be monitoring this pregnancy very closely."

Another possible complication is how Rose-Tu might react to a new calf. After giving birth to Samudra in 2008, the first-time mom nearly trampled her baby. Keepers quickly intervened, and zoo staff worked around the clock for a week to ensure the mother-calf bond became the strong one it is today.

Elephant curator Bob Lee, who was senior keeper at the time of Samudra’s birth, believes Rose-Tu became confused because she had never witnessed a birth. Until Samudra’s arrival, no elephant had been born at the zoo since Rose-Tu herself in 1994. Lee and the rest of the zoo’s animal-care staff are hopeful that, as an experienced mom, Rose-Tu will know how to react when her second calf is born.

Rose-Tu is popular both within the herd and with her keepers, who describe the 7,000-pound elephant as playful, spirited, and highly intelligent.

The Oregon Zoo is recognized worldwide for its successful breeding program for Asian elephants, which spans nearly five decades. More than 25 elephants have been born at the zoo, beginning with Packy in 1962. Rose-Tu’s mother, Me-Tu, was the second elephant born at the zoo (just months after Packy), and her grandmother, Rosy, was the first elephant ever to live in Oregon.

An endangered species, Asian elephants are represented by an estimated 38,000 to 51,000 individuals living in fragmented populations in the wild. Agriculture, deforestation, and conflict with humans pose a constant threat to wild Asian elephants.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants recommended that Rose-Tu be bred with Tusko. The AZA, of which the Oregon Zoo is an accredited member, strives to maintain a sustainable population of elephants in North America.

Currently, birth rates are lower than necessary to do so. With few bulls and low birth rates — combined with an aging female population — the North American elephant population is at of risk becoming extinct.

The Oregon Zoo, located at located at 4001 S.W. Canyon Road in Portland, is open daily from 9:00am to 4:00pm. To learn more, call (503) 226-1561 or visit <www.oregonzoo.org>.