Trunk Tales – the Elephants of the Houston Zoo

Baylor and Tucker get acquainted

Baby Baylor’s family just doubled overnight. The first few days after Baylor was born he spent all of his time with his mother, Shanti.  Zoo keepers wanted to be sure that he and his mom bonded well and that he knew where to go to eat.  The keepers also wanted to be sure that Shanti knew what to do when Baylor was hungry or needed her help. Once the team was comfortable with their behaviors and actions, we introduced “aunt” Methai. Methai is an experienced elephant that has been around many calves. She can be possessive of the calves, but she is no doubt their protective guardian when they start to explore new surroundings. 

Once keepers knew that these three were getting along great and Baylor was continuing to thrive, it was time to introduce him to Tess and Tucker. All of the elephants have obviously all seen each other throughout the day while in the elephant barn and yards. Keepers have also allowed them to touch and smell each other between the stalls. But what would happen when they got to share a  space? Luckily for everyone, it was relatively uneventful. Big brother Tucker was a little unsure at first, but now the pair seem to antagonize each other the way only brothers can. Metahi, Shanti, and Baylor are still separated at times from Tess and Tucker, especially over night, but they spend the majority of the day as a growing elephant herd.

Written by Daryl Hoffman, Curator of Large Mammals

Tucker and little Baylor