The Pitter Patter of Huge Feet!
25th July 2001
Issued by Colchester Zoo

Veterinarians from the Berlin Institute of Wildlife Medicine and Research have confirmed that "Tanya", a twenty year old African elephant, from Colchester Zoo, is three months pregnant.

It is going to be a long wait for Tanya and her Keepers.

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"Tanya" is the first elephant in the UK to be successfully inseminated and the first in the world to conceive after only one insemination. Only five elephants in the world have been successfully inseminated in the past. This includes Sabi, the female elephant from Vienna Zoo that recently gave birth after, also, being inseminated with sperm from Tembo.

Next to one of her keepers, you can see just how huge Tanya is.

The foetus at this stage is only the same size as an apple and it is too early to have images of the baby.

The Berlin Institute will return, probably in November, to perform further ultrasound examinations and hopefully an image of the baby could then be available.

"We'd like to stress that it is still early days. An elephant is pregnant for nearly two years and there is still a very long way to go before we actually have a calf. The Zoo and the elephant keepers will be providing "Tanya" with the best possible care and we all have our fingers crossed for a problem free pregnancy". Said Anthony Tropeano.

For further information please contact Colchester Zoo