3-Week-Old Baby Elephant at Columbus Zoo Being Cared for By Her Herd Is Melting Hearts originally appeared on PetHelpful.
The Columbus Zoo in Ohio has a new extra-large resident and the internet is in love. On July 23rd, new mama Sunny gave birth to an adorable baby girl Asian elephant.
This sweet darling has now started to venture out into the elephant habitat with her mom and her aunt, and both of these ladies are taking good care of her. In the TikTok video posted by @_kate16x, we’re treated to an up-close view of the little pachyderm as she gets used to her new surroundings.
The baby elephant—who doesn’t have a name yet—is sticking close to her mom as they wander over toward the fence. Aunt Rudy moves the pile of hay out of the way so that zoo visitors can get a better view of the baby. She’s clearly proud to be an auntie and she wants to share her new niece with everyone.
The little pachyderm is using her trunk to feel around on the ground and although she doesn’t eat hay yet, she is watching and learning everything that her mom and aunt are doing. The baby fits perfectly underneath Sunny and obviously feels secure hanging out under there. It’s truly amazing how big Asian elephants are—and it’s so heart-warming to see them be so incredibly gentle with this precious baby.
Related: Newborn Elephant Discovers Perfect Scratching Post and We Can’t Get Enough
One viewer quickly fell in love and jokingly asked, “Anybody know what the bail amount is for Grand Theft Elephant in Columbus? Definitely not asking for myself!”
Another fan marveled at how special the baby is and said, “I love elephants, they’re such magnificent creatures. I love that they’re very aware and very intelligent. And their babies are so adorable.”
A Few Facts About Asian Elephants
A full-term pregnancy for an Asian elephant is 22 months. Yep, that’s right! Sunny was pregnant for nearly two years!
The Columbus Zoo is expecting another Asian elephant baby in September!
Asian elephants are an endangered species, with fewer than 50,000 left in the world.
Here is an extra little clip of the baby elephant that was posted on the zoo’s TikTok, @columbuszooandaquarium. Look how cute she is trying to climb the rocks!
3-Week-Old Baby Elephant at Columbus Zoo Being Cared for By Her Herd Is Melting Hearts first appeared on PetHelpful on Aug 14, 2025
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.