HOUSTON – Houston Zoo’s newest baby elephant was featured in a recent segment on the Kids’ Edition of NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt.
Holt spoke with the zoo’s large mammal curator Daryl Hoffman to introduce the baby elephant and his mother, Shanti.
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“He had a rough start early on [during his birth], but the whole team put him back together and he’s doing fantastic,” Hoffman said.
Nightly News: Kids Edition (May 21, 2020)Zoos might look a little different right now, but there's still plenty of excitement -- especially at the Houston Zoo where baby elephant Nelson was born last week. Watch more on today's episode of #NightlyKids: https://youtu.be/mix21kFrNy4
Posted by NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt on Thursday, May 21, 2020
Hoffman said Shanti isn’t protective with her new calf, as she had given birth to six others previously. She is comfortable with zoo officials being around Nelson.
“Every baby is still exciting,” he said, when asked what the atmosphere is like when a baby elephant is on the way, “you’ll never know what is going to happen. Our team prepares for the worst but hopes for the best.”
The new addition adds the elephant count to 11 for the Houston Zoo, Holt stated.
Read more on Nelson’s arrival by clicking here.
Meet Nelson!🐘💚 Meet Nelson, our adorable baby elephant who joined our herd early Tuesday morning! He has been bonding with mom, Shanti, behind the scenes.
Posted by Houston Zoo on Friday, May 15, 2020