The Dallas Zoo welcomed a 290-pound baby elephant, born to African elephant Mlilo on Feb. 26 after a 22-month pregnancy, according to a Dallas Morning News article. They say,

“”In a historic birth, the Dallas Zoo welcomed a baby elephant to the family late last month, the zoo announced Wednesday.

At 290 pounds, the male calf was born Feb. 26 at 2:27 a.m. to one of the zoo’s African elephants, Mlilo — a second-time mom.

In a video announcing the birth, Audrey Lagemann, zoological manager of elephants, said after a 22-month pregnancy, “lots of hours of sleep were given up” to monitor Mlilo’s final stretch over the past few weeks, including using a remote camera system as an extra set of eyes.”

The baby elephant’s name is yet to be decided. Dallas Zoo staff closely monitored Mlilo’s pregnancy and are excited for the new arrival, according to a Dallas Observer article. They say,

“The zoo also stated that it’ll be several weeks until the baby elephant (name still very much TBA) will be “on habitat,” but those curious about the little guy can check for updates on the zoo’s socials.

Staff at the zoo monitored Mlilo closely throughout her pregnancy, the zoo announced in a social media post on Wednesday.

“We are very excited for Mlilo’s baby, and this has been a long time coming,” said Dr. Anne Burgdorf, the associate vice president of animal health and welfare at Dallas Zoo, in one video. Another zoological worker with the elephant department recalled how staff jumped up and down for joy after learning of Mlilo’s pregnancy in 2021.”

The zoo will announce the baby elephant’s name on social media, and both Mlilo and the calf will remain behind the scenes for a few weeks.