The African elephant count at Disney's Animal Kingdom has reached a full dozen with the birth of a male calf Wednesday at Disney World. Vasha, the 25-year-old mother, delivered a 311-pound offspring with the assistance of a team of animal-care workers at the theme park. The newborn has not yet been named.
It's the sixth elephant born at Animal Kingdom, meaning one-half of the herd of 12 would have Florida on their birth certificates. Animal Kingdom is home to four male and eight female African elephants.
Vasha's pregnancy was achieved through artificial insemination in 2009 — it was a 22-month gestation period. It's the second calf for her: Kianga, a female, was born to her at Animal Kingdom in 2004.Vasha is successfully nursing, Disney officials say. The baby gradually will acclimate to the rest of the herd over the next several weeks.
By Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel
4:00 p.m. EDT, August 25, 2011
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