This is the heartwarming moment a baby elephant takes its first steps outdoors at the Oregon Zoo.

Tula-Tu, a one-month-old jumbo, stepped into the sunshine for the first time on Thursday afternoon, February 27. She joined her mother, Rose-Tu, in a private outdoor area at the zoo's Elephant Lands.

Zoo official Steve Lefave said: 'We needed it warm and dry for a calf Tula's age to play outside.'

Once temperatures climbed above 60 degrees, Tula confidently followed her mum.

Rose-Tu munched on fresh bamboo while Tula explored, rumbling and grabbing small branches with her trunk.

Lefave added: 'Her trunk dexterity is impressive. She's definitely precocious for her age.'

Currently, Tula stays indoors, and visitors can see her inside the Forest Hall.

Asian elephants face severe threats in the wild. Habitat loss, human conflict, and disease put them at risk. Only 40,000 to 50,000 remain, scattered from India to Borneo, with their range overlapping 20 per cent of the world's human population.

The zoo's 60-year elephant care program includes a $1 million fund for Asian elephant conservation. It also works with local communities in Borneo to replant forests and promote peaceful coexistence.

Asian elephants are the largest land animals in Asia found in forests and grasslands across India, Southeast Asia, and parts of China.

They are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and their numbers continue to decrease.