DALLAS (WBAP & KLIF News) — The Dallas Zoo is debuting its newest member of the family today.
The baby elephant Ajabu will make his first appearance, nearly five months after his birth. The zoo has had to make special accommodations for Ajabu due to his small size — he was born only 175 pounds and could fit between barricades in the elephant barns that a normal calf couldn’t.
Among the adjustments the zoo has had to make are barriers by the man-made fig tree in the Giants of the Savannah exhibit, barricades in the yard to prevent him from venturing into the yards of other, larger animals, and making the pool a bit more shallow to prevent him from drowning.
It’s the first time since last May the Dallas Zoo has introduced a baby animal of this magnitude. The last was baby giraffe Kipenzi, who died just two months after making her debut.