Tiny Trunk, Huge News: National Zoo Welcomes First Baby Asian Elephant In 25 Years (Video)
It's a girl!
For the first time in nearly 25 years, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is celebrating the birth of an Asian elephant, after a healthy female calf arrived in the early morning hours on Monday, Feb. 2, officials announced.
The calf was born at 1:15 a.m. inside the Elephant Barn to first-time mother Nhi Linh, 12, following a 21-month pregnancy, according to the Zoo. The father is Spike, 44, whose genes — like Nhi Linh’s — are considered critical to strengthening the endangered species’ genetic diversity.
“This birth fills us with profo…
These States Have Highest Flu Rates As Christmas Arrives: See Map
Flu season is ramping up across the country, with several states now experiencing severe or rising levels of illness, and a fast-spreading “super flu” variant is driving the surge.
The CDC’s latest FluView report for the week ending Saturday, Dec. 13, shows widespread influenza activity in nearly every region, with the Northeast and Mountain West hit especially hard.
As of Monday, Dec. 16, the CDC estimated that flu cases are growing or likely growing in 47 states. According to the agency, “very high” flu activity has been detected in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Col…
