Earth Day Debut: Linh Mai at the National Zoo, First Elephant Birth in 25 Years

Two-month-old Asian elephant Linh Mai made her public Earth Day debut at the Smithsonian National Zoo, marking the zoo’s first elephant birth in nearly 25 years. After a brief separation from her mother due to aggression, Linh Mai is thriving under Swarna’s surrogate aunt role while learning to interact with the herd and visitors; staff monitor her, and officials note that Asian elephants are endangered due to habitat loss and slow reproduction, underscoring the conservation role of zoos.