Toledo Zoo welcomes baby elephant and needs your help to name it!

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - The Toledo Zoo is welcoming a new member to its family with the birth of a baby elephant.

African elephant Renee gave birth to a male elephant on Feb. 17. Renee and her calf, who now weigh about 280 pounds, are in excellent health and zoo staff continues to monitor their wellbeing, a statement from the zoo said.

The Toledo Zoo also announced it is launching a naming contest ahead of the baby elephant’s public debut. Fans can pick their favorite name from the choices, Leap, Link, Loki, Leif, and Leo, by donating to the zoo.

The contest starts Friday, March 1, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on March 14. The voting form can be found on the zoo’s website.

The zoo will announce the baby’s name on March 15, right before his public debut on March 16.

The zoo will also host an Elephant Baby Bash on April 6 to celebrate the elephant’s birthday. The celebration will be open to the public and will take place at Tembo Trail and will feature activities, scheduled enrichment and talks with the zookeepers. The public is invited to bring a birthday gift for the elephant calf, with a wishlist setup on Amazon for those interested.

Once the baby is debuted, visitors can visit him and his mom Renee from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Zoo workers will be managing visitation for the exhibit, with 20 guests allowed in at a time. Flash photography won’t be allowed and noise must be kept to a minimum.

The African elephant is an endangered species and the zoo says it provides a safe and enriching home for them while educating the public about preserving and protecting wildlife. The birth of the baby elephant is the result of artificial insemination, in collaboration with the Elephant Species Survival Plan. A male elephant named Titan from a zoo in Wichita, Kansas, is the baby’s father.

“It took months of coordination working with our partners in the field,” said Michael Frushour, general curator of endotherms at the Toledo Zoo. “It takes a special team of experts to perform an elephant AI, and we prioritized working with the best professionals within the United States and from around the world to make sure that happened.”

The baby’s mother, Renee, is estimated to be about 45 years old, weighing about 8,300 pounds and she reached 8,800 pounds during her pregnancy. Renee has been at the Toledo Zoo since 1982, the statement said, and is the herd’s matriarch. This marks Renee’s third pregnancy through artificial insemination.

“I couldn’t be prouder of our whole Zoo team,” said Jeff Sailer, president and CEO of the Toledo Zoo. “The team not only has such dedication to our elephants but they have also made every effort to bring our members and followers along for the journey of Renee’s pregnancy. A huge part of our mission is to inspire and educate, this baby is already helping us achieve our mission.

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