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2 elephants at Ohio zoo will welcome calves by the same father
Two elephants are pregnant and are expected to give birth next year – but there will be only one father in the delivery rooms. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio announced this week that for the first time in the zoo’s history two elephants, Phoebe and Sunny, are pregnant at the same time – a glimmer of hope for the Asian elephant conservation.
“This is a very exciting time for us as these pregnancies provide us with the opportunity to care for a multigenerational herd, which is beneficial for the elephants and their social dynamics,” said Adam Felts, senior curator of animal care and director of animal wellbeing.
He added the upcoming births help to ensure a genetically diverse and healthy population of elephants in North American zoos. Phoebe is already the mother of a 3-year-old calf Frankie and this is Sunny’s first pregnancy, the zoo said. The gestation period is 22 months, the zoo said.
The zoo said Sabu, an elephant bull that was temporarily staying in Columbus, fathered both calves as part of a species survival plan. According to the International Elephant Foundation, roughly 40,000 – 50,000 Asian elephants remain in the world.
Drought-stricken Namibia recently announced a plan to reduce wildlife – including 83 elephants – as a way to cut down on human-wildlife conflict.
“With the severe drought situation in the country, conflicts are expected to increase if no interventions are made,” officials said.
The Columbus Zoo’s elephant herd currently consists of five elephants, the zoo said.
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Yellowstone hiker burned when she falls into scalding water near Old Faithful, park officials say
Yellowstone National Park, Wyo. — A New Hampshire woman suffered severe burns on her leg after hiking off-trail in Yellowstone National Park and falling into scalding water in a thermal area near the Old Faithful geyser, park officials said.
The 60-year-old woman from Windsor, New Hampshire, along with her husband and their leashed dog were walking off a designated trail near the Mallard Lake Trailhead on Monday afternoon when she broke through a thin crust over the water and suffered second- and third-degree burns to her lower leg, park officials said. Her husband and the dog weren’t injured.
The woman was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, Idaho for treatment.
Park visitors are reminded to stay on boardwalks and trails in hydrothermal areas and exercise extreme caution. The ground in those areas is fragile and thin and there’s scalding water just below the surface, park officials said.
Pets are allowed in limited, developed areas of Yellowstone park but are prohibited on boardwalks, hiking trails, in the backcountry and in thermal areas.
The incident is under investigation. The woman’s name wasn’t made public.
This is the first known thermal injury in Yellowstone in 2024, park officials said in a statement. The park had recorded 3.5 million visitors through August this year.
Hot springs have injured and killed more people in Yellowstone National Park than any other natural feature, the National Park Service said. At least 22 people have died from hot spring-related injuries in and around the 3,471-square-mile national park since 1890, park officials have said.