(Omaha, NE) -- Surprise! Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium is welcoming not one, but two elephant babies next year.
Tuesday morning, zoo leadership announced that they have two pregnant elephants, after believing there was only one. One of the elephants, Claire, has knowingly been pregnant for several months. After ultrasounds and tests, the zoo can also now confirm that Kiki is pregnant. The confirmation came after Kiki’s hormone levels bounced back and forth, which worried zoo keepers about whether or not she was actually pregnant. The zoo brought in an elephant reproductive analyst, who located one little foot and blood flow to the uterus. Zoo leaders say the fetus’ heartbeat was then confirmed a month later by a veterinarian.
Both Claire and Kiki are due in February 2022, within just days of each other. The births will mark the first and second time a baby elephant has ever been born at Henry Doorly Zoo.