Omaha, NE) -- Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium announces the name of the baby elephant born earlier this week.
The Zoo says the male calf born on January 30 has been named Sonny. “All of us at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium are beyond thrilled to have welcomed two healthy African elephant calves in January. What a way to start 2022!” said Dennis Pate, president and CEO of Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. “With the elephant population decreasing, Eugenia and Sonny represent a new generation of possibilities for an African elephant population in desperate need of growth,” Pate said. “They are critical pieces in a much larger plan for population sustainability and species conservation, as is the work of accredited zoos like Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium.”
Sonny received his name from a donor who won the naming rights at the Zoo’s fundraiser, Zoofari 2021. Sonny is the second African elephant born at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. He was born to mother Claire, 13 years old, and father Callee, 21 years old. Mom and calf are doing well. Sonny has not yet stepped on a scale to get his weight. Eugenia was the first elephant born in the Zoo’s 127-year history and was born on January 7. Kiki, 18, is her mother and Callee, 21, is her father. She is nursing, growing and weighed 187 pounds as of January 27.
The Elephant Family Quarters, where Eugenia and Sonny live with the herd, is currently closed to the public to allow Animal Care staff time to observe the herd. There are a total of eight elephants in the herd, including Eugenia and Sonny. Visitors will have the opportunity to reserve a timed ticket to see both elephant calves with the herd in the Elephant Family Quarters once reopened. Updates about the African elephants and timed ticketing will be provided via media alerts and the Zoo’s social media pages as additional information becomes available.