Hi, babies! When visitors to Sedgwick County Zoo can get a peek of baby elephants
Sedgwick County Zoo’s elephant herd just got bigger, and cuter, with the arrival of two new calves.
The older calf, Bomani, was born April 10 to mom Talia, and just four days later, first-time mother Xolani delivered another male calf, Kijani.
“All of the moms are getting used to their calf still, they’re kind of getting used to having these two new little ones afoot,” Jennica King, the zoo’s director of communications, told The Eagle. “[There’s a] really interesting social dynamic within the elephant herd. So I think they’re all still trying to figure out, ‘where does everybody fit?’”
Despite a few disagreements between the elephants, the calves are settling in well, with the zoo officially introducing the two babies Tuesday.
“They tend to move through those [disagreements] pretty naturally and pretty quickly,” King said.
While the calves walked around the public habitat for their official public introduction, it’ll probably be some time until they’re consistently able to be viewed by the public, King said.
“I think it’s safe to say there’s still a lot of moving pieces within the herd and until we have the whole herd introduced to the new calves, we kind of have to move everybody around,” King said.
Zoo staff is focused on helping the elephants with the transition, King said, and will wait until the creatures are comfortable to go to the public habitat.
“We really almost don’t know until day of [if] they’re going to be out,” King said.
The upcoming rainy weather will also put a hold on public viewing, as the muddy and slippery public habitat can be dangerous for the little ones.
If you’re making the trip specifically to see Bomani and Kijani, King said you can call the zoo before your visit to see if they’re out that day or check on the zoo’s social media pages for updates.
Sedgwick County Zoo’s ‘baby boom’
Bomani and Kijani won’t be the smallest members of the elephant herd for long.
In just a few months, the zoo is expecting two other calves — one due in May or June and another in August or September — which is why the zoo has been calling this time the “Big Baby Boom.”
But the baby boom is not specific to the elephants. Just two weeks ago, the zoo welcomed baby chimpanzee Kyansa, whose mom, Mahale, heartbreakingly lost a 5-week-old chimp to a head injury two years ago. King said while Kyansa isn’t in the public habitat yet, the transition is going well for mom and daughter.
The zoo is also expecting babies this spring in the farm, specifically a lot of baby goats.
Sedgwick County Zoo is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Non-member admission is $19.99 for seniors and children and $24.99 for adults. Tickets are more expensive when purchased at the gate.
If you want to take a look at the zoo’s animals without making the trip, you can view live footage of the habitats on the Sedgwick County Zoo’s website.
