Okay! Staff preview viewing was yesterday. I got to work early to head down to the elephant barn and snap a few pictures:

He had a little trouble finding his legs....


but managed to get up and moving.


Then he promptly flopped down and went to sleep!


Rose-Tu looks so proud!

Behind the two you can see the "howdy gate", used to introduce the other cows to the new baby. It will be slowly altered to allow more access until they are commfortable enough to unite the group. In the first photo you can see Shine peeking through, in the last is Rose-Tu's buddy, Chendra.

awwwwwww thanks for those Ron, he is so darn cute I can't stand it.

Babyphant Squirt is so cute!

The baby is doing very well, as is Rose-Tu! She is starting to take to motherhood very well. The two are together 24 hours now, and she is doing all the things that an elephant mom should.

They have spent a few sessions outside in the elephant's back exhibit yard, under very controlled conditions, and have met at least one of the other cows. Shine showed very little interest in the calf, staying on the other side of the yard most of the time.

The keepers have suggested names, and now the public has the opportunity to vote on them: http://www.oregonzoo.org/Voter/vote_form.cfm

Bao, Duc, Hugo-Tu, and Samutra. Hugo-Tu is another homage to Hugo, who we lost last year, and the baby's mother and grandmother, Me-Tu. I really don't like the idea of -Tu becoming a surname for our elephants.

I get the feeling the keepers like the last name, simply so they can just call him Sam.

Of course, they already have some names for him, but none that you would ask the public to vote for!

I voted for Samudra. I like the meaning behind it. :)

I like Squirt.

The news is saying that people are voting for Duc because it would be a good homage to Duckworth who just passed away unexpectedly. I like Bao.

And the winning name is










Samudra!

Yay!!!! :D