The Oregon’s Zoo’s hopes of expanding its herd of endangered Asian elephants by one have been dashed with the news that a 26-year-old female’s surprise pregnancy has ended in a miscarriage.
“We knew this was a possibility, but that doesn’t make it any easier,” wrote Bob Lee, who oversees the Zoo’s elephant program, in a statement. “Raising a calf is one of the most enriching things in an elephant’s life, and we really hoped this was her chance to experience that.”
Staff said they confirmed the miscarriage last week after noting a decrease in the reproductive hormones of the elephant, named Chendra.
In the Pacific Island of Borneo, where Chendra was born, deforestation driven by logging and palm oil industries have reduced the wild elephant population to around 2,000. The zoo said Chendra, herself, was a victim of the industries, found orphaned near a palm oil plantation in 1999, partially blind with wounds on her legs.
Unable to reunite the young calf with her herd, the local government reached out to the Oregon Zoo, which has taken a special interest in the species over the last six decades. The zoo maintains a million dollar endowment fund supporting Asian Elephant conservation and currently houses five of the species in its exhibit.
Now 26-years-old, Chendra would have been one of the older elephant mothers. Most elephants conceive before their mid-20s, according to the zoo.
Oregon Zoo veterinarian Kelly Flaminio said miscarriages were common in most mammal species, especially for those nearing the end of their first trimester like Chendra.
She was also undergoing treatment for tuberculosis, though the zoo said the disease did not contribute to the miscarriage.
The loss of pregnancy will “simplify her treatment plan,” according to the zoo.