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Baby elephant makes public debut at Saint Louis Zoo

The Asian elephant calf Kenzi is making her public debut this morning at the Saint Louis Zoo.

The three-month-old calf will be on view at the "River's Edge" habitat from 10 a.m. to noon and then again from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. today through Sunday.

Her mother Rani, who is 15 years old, gave birth to the 300-pound calf on June 24. Kenzi now weighs over 380 pounds.

At the Zoo, Kenzi has been well-accepted by her three-generation family, which includes her grandmother Ellie and her two older sisters Maliha and Jade.

Her father, Raja, is in an adjacent habitat.

This is Rani's second offspring and Raja's third. Raja is 19 years old and was the first elephant ever born at the Saint Louis Zoo.

In the wild, Asian elephants are facing extinction, with only 35,000 to 50,000 individuals remaining. The Saint Louis Zoo is actively involved in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants, which includes captive breeding.