Houston, United States - November 15, 2024 Houston Zoo has a jumbo-sized reason to celebrate this Thanksgiving season. On Friday, November 15, Shanti, a 34-year-old Asian elephant, delivered a healthy 314-pound female calf named Kirby after an epic 19-hour labor. Born in the McNair Asian Elephant Habitat cow barn, Kirby stood on her own within six minutes, walked after 25 minutes, and began nursing in just over an hour. Shanti’s 21-month pregnancy, one of the longest among land mammals, was closely monitored by the Zoo's expert veterinary and elephant care teams. Both mom and baby are thriving after post-natal exams and are spending several days bonding behind the scenes before their highly anticipated public debut. Visitors to Houston Zoo are direct contributors to the conservation of wild elephants in Asia. Proceeds from admissions support critical efforts like tracking collars for endangered Bornean elephants. This program, led by conservationist Nurzhafarina "Farina" Othman, has been pivotal in growing elephant populations since 2007. As Shanti and Kirby share their first precious moments, their story stands as a reminder of the global impact zoos can have on saving wildlife.