This is a press release courtesy of the Oregon Zoo

Zookeepers and veterinarians at the Oregon Zoo are on alert this morning, as Rose-Tu continues to show signs of the onset of labor. Rose-Tu's due date was mid-September so the first signs of labor were somewhat of a surprise to watchful keepers.

"With a 22-month gestation period, it is not unusual to have dates vary by a month or more," says Mitch Finnegan, the zoo's lead veterinarian.

Finnegan believes the birth may take place sometime within the next 24 hours. Signs of Rose-Tu's labor include mucous discharge and a drop in her blood progesterone levels.

"The birth of a new baby is the most enriching thing that can happen in an elephant herd," said Mike Keele, the zoo's deputy director, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan coordinator for Asian elephants. "If all goes well, and we hope it will, the rest of the herd will tightly bond and protect the baby as if it were their own. There are some risks associated with being a first-time mother, but we're hopeful."

With more than 30 years of zoo experience, Keele is keenly aware that there is a 30 percent infant mortality rate among captive Asian elephants. There is no reliable data on the infant mortality rate in the wild.

"There can be complications to both mother and calf," said Keele. "A calf may be stillborn or get lodged in the birthing canal. We'll be monitoring her pregnancy very closely."

If the birth is successful, the baby will be Rose-Tu's first, and it will be the 28th baby elephant born at the Oregon Zoo. The father is Tusko.

Baby elephants normally weigh 225 to 325 pounds; however, when Rose-Tu was born she weighed 184 pounds. Elephants are able to stand within 45 minutes of birth.

If healthy, the new baby could be in the elephant viewing room, ready to see zoo visitors in a couple of days.

However, Finnegan warns that these things are on their own schedule.

"We're just waiting on Rose-Tu now. Even though Tusko sired this calf, there are a lot of expectant fathers here," Finnegan said.

Rose-Tu, born Aug. 31, 1994, was the last elephant born at the zoo. She is a popular elephant within the herd and with her keepers. She is always looking to tease her herd mates and shares a strong friendship with Chendra, who is nearly the same age. Rose-Tu is the second-smallest elephant in the herd, weighing about 7,600 pounds.

Tusko arrived at the zoo in June 2005 on a breeding loan. He has sired three calves in the past -- two while living in Canada and one in California.

In the fall of 2006, Tusko was introduced to Rose-Tu in hopes the two would make a love connection. The zoo monitors the female elephants' ovulatory cycles closely and planned the introduction for the appropriate time.

The Association of Zoos and Aquariums' 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 the endangered 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.

In the late 1990s, scientists warned zoos that unless a reproductive management program was undertaken, North America was in danger of not being able to sustain a viable elephant population. Statistics indicate that if females do not become pregnant by the age of 25, their ability to reproduce is severely diminished.

The Oregon Zoo has a renowned breeding program for endangered Asian elephants. More than 25 elephants have been born at the zoo, beginning with Packy in 1962. From 1994 to 2005, the zoo suspended its breeding program because it lacked the space to house four bull elephants. The zoo could not risk the 50 percent chance of having another male, which would grow up to be a powerful bull elephant, with no home in which to place him.

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 zoo opens at 8 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63.
Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.