HOUSTON — The Houston Zoo says its loveable, 5-week-old baby elephant, Kirby, has quickly become an internet star.
Her fans have been dubbed the “Kirby Krew.”
“Kirby’s charm has not only enchanted local fans but has gone viral on social media platforms, garnering millions of new followers,” the zoo said. “Her playful behavior, inquisitive nature, and heartwarming interactions have made her an undeniable fan favorite.”
She’s even made the national news.
When Kirby was born on Nov. 15, people were initially fascinated by her wide eyes. The zoo said the trait is perfectly normal for newborn Asian elephants and an indication that she is strong and healthy. They said the wide eyes help babies walk within hours of birth as well as keep up with their herd.
Shanti, a 34-year-old Asian elephant, gave birth to the 314-pound calf on Nov. 15 after a 19-hour labor.
Since then, she’s put on a healthy 85 pounds, about 2.5 pounds a day.
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The zoo says Kirby was standing six minutes after birth and walking 25 minutes later. That worked up an appetite and Shanti began nursing her newborn within 90 minutes.
Kirby is Shanti’s seventh calf born at the Houston Zoo.
The baby daddy is Shanti’s longtime boyfriend, 58-year-old Thailand.
The new big bundle of joy joined siblings Nelson and Joy. Nelson weighed a whopping 385 pounds when he was born in 2020. Joy was a petite 305 pounds at birth in 2017.
Just by visiting the Houston Zoo, guests help save baby elephants and their families in the wild. A portion of each zoo admission and membership goes to protecting wild elephants in Asia. The zoo provides funds for elephant conservationist Nurzhafarina “Farina” Othman and her team to put tracking collars on wild elephants. The collars are used to follow the elephants, collecting valuable movement data that is used to inform future protection for the elephant families as they travel through the forests.
Other recent additions at the Houston Zoo
First-time mom Vida gave birth to a beautiful baby jaguar on Nov. 6. He was later named Rojo.
RELATED: Houston Zoo reveals name of adorable baby jaguar
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On Nov. 1, the zoo welcomed another family member. Akobi is a four-and-a-half-year-old, 477-pound male pygmy hippopotamus who was moved to Houston from San Francisco.
RELATED: Hippo-awesome-mus! Houston Zoo adds adorable pygmy hippo to family