Archive for the ‘Tupelo’ Category

Oct
25

She’s as Sweet as Tupelo Honey!

Posted by in Tupelo

A lot of our guests ask how zoo staff comes up the names for the elephants. Just like when a child is named, a lot of thought goes in it.  Baylor got his name from the Baylor College Medicine. Baylor College Medicine (BCM) has been heavily involved in Elephant Herpes research for the past 18 months. There has been more advancement in our knowledge of this horrific disease since BCM’s involvement than in the previous 10 years combined. Long before Baylor was born, zoo staff agreed on his name. Boy or girl, this calf would be named Baylor.

Tupelo with mom Tess

For Tess’ calf we wanted to stay with the “T” names.  The family group all have names starting with the letter “T.”  Tess is the mother, Thai is the father, Tucker is Tess’ last offspring, so what is another “T” name? Tupelo was decided on for a few reasons. Contrary to what some believe, she’s not named for Elvis Presley’s birthplace. Tupelo trees grow in the Gulf Coast region and produce Tupelo honey.  The Elephant team also agreed that Van Morrison’s song Tupelo Honey is an excellent song.  The lyrics to this song help to share how special Tupelo is to all of us. Having baby elephants born at the Houston zoo is not something we take for granted. Each one is different in many ways, but each one special all the same. Tueplo is no exception as the lyrics to the song state, “She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey, she’s an angel in the first degree.”

Written by Martina Stevens, Houston Zoo Elephant Supervisor

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Oct
21

It’s Nap Time

Posted by in Elephant Herd,Tupelo

Baby elephants are not much different than baby humans in the fact that their day consists of eat, play, and sleep. At less than one month old, Tupelo does not play nearly as much as Baylor. When she does play, it is always in close proximity to her mom, Tess. But sleeping is a different story, Tupelo has no problem sleeping anywhere at anytime. Tupelo sleeps about 6 hours each day and when she does the adults take notice. Adult elephants will often take turns lying down to sleep. This way, there is always at least one elephant standing awake looking for danger.

Can you find Tupelo? When baby elephants sleep, there is always at least one adult elephant standing over them.

When the babies sleep, there is always at least one adult standing over them. By standing over the calves, the adults provide protection from possible threats as well as protection from the sun. A 7,000 pound adult elephant can produce a fair amount shade!

Tupelo and Baylor taking a nap.

On the other hand, when an adult lies down to sleep around a calf, that same 7,000 pound body makes a perfect mound to climb, rub, and lay on.

Tess trying to take a nap, but Baylor and Tupelo have other plans.

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Oct
18

Have You Herd? We have a new baby elephant!

Posted by in Birth,Tupelo

On October 3, 2010, at around 7:30 PM, weighing 238 pounds, Tupelo was born to mother Tess and father Thai. Tupelo is the second elephant calf born at the Houston Zoo in the past 5 months. Once Tupelo was nursing well and getting around fairly steadily on her feet, it was time to make her introductions to the herd.  At first, it seemed that Tupelo was rather overwhelmed by all the commotion being made about her new arrival, but before the staff knew it, she fit right in and was lying down to take a nap.

Tess, Tucker and new baby Tupelo

One of the goals of the Houston Zoo elephant breeding program is to try to create family groups. In the wild, elephant herds consist of a matriarch and her offspring and possibly her sisters and their offspring. While Shanti, Methai, and Tess are not sisters, they have lived together for years and have developed a social hierarchy among themselves. Now that Shanti has an offspring, Baylor, and Tess has both Tucker and Tupelo, the zoo is well on the way to creating a small family group.

Tess, Tupelo, Methai and Tucker

The herd together: Tucker, Tupelo, Tess, Methai, Baylor and Shanti

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Oct
15

Baby Tupelo: Down for the Count

Posted by in Tupelo

After nursing, baby Tupelo takes a nap.

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Oct
05

It’s a Girl! Houston Zoo Welcomes Baby Tupelo!

Posted by in Birth,Tupelo

Two Baby Elephants in Five Months at the Houston Zoo!
  

Tupelo, an Asian elephant born Sunday, October 3 at the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat is about to nurse for the first time, assisted by the Zoo’s elephant care team. Her mother, Tess is standing behind her. Tupelo weighed 273 pounds at birth.

Tess, a 29 year old Asian elephant, delivered a healthy 273 pound female calf Sunday evening at the Houston Zoo’s McNair Asian Elephant Habitat. The calf has been named Tupelo by the Zoo’s elephant care team.
 
Tupelo’s birth is the second Asian elephant birth at the Houston Zoo since May 4th, when 19 year old Shanti delivered a male calf, Baylor. Thailand, the Houston Zoo’s 44 year old Asian bull elephant, is the father of both Baylor and Tupelo.
 
Attended by the Houston Zoo’s elephant care team and assisted by the Zoo’s veterinary staff, Tess delivered Tupelo at 7:38 p.m. Sunday, October 3. Tupelo was nursing approximately 4 hours later.
 
“This has been an incredible year for the elephant team at the Houston Zoo,” said Large Mammal Curator Daryl Hoffman. “Elephant births in zoos are rare with maybe 3 or 4 a year. To have two births in a span of 4 months speaks volumes about the caliber of care the Houston Zoo provides for the elephants that live here,” added Hoffman.
 
The Houston Zoo’s elephant care team will keep Tess and Tupelo under a 24-hour watch for the next few weeks. The barn at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat is temporarily closed to the public, but it will reopen after the elephant care team can see signs that Tupelo and Tess are bonding and comfortable.
 
The Houston Zoo’s elephant care team, veterinary staff and a core group of Zoo volunteers have been monitoring Tess closely for the past 11 months. The routine intensified over the past 12 weeks, with regular ultrasounds to monitor the baby’s health and blood work to gauge the mother’s progesterone level. Throughout the delivery, Tess was attended by the entire elephant care team and assisted by Zoo veterinarians and Zoo veterinary technicians.
 
More than 50 volunteers and Zoo staff began a seven-day a week, 24-hour birth watch in August. Utilizing a state-of-the art closed-circuit television system, the birth watch team observed and documented Tess’ behavior. When blood tests indicated Tess’ progesterone level had fallen to a low baseline level, Zoo veterinarians and members of the elephant care team remained at the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat around the clock watching for indications that labor might begin at any moment.

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