9 months is too long to be pregnant for many women but if you are an elephant then you have to hang on for 16 months. Added to this is the fact that the elephant babies are a lot bigger than the average human at 250 pounds.
The elephant is an Asian elephant known as Rose-Tu and lisves at the Oregon Zoo in Portland. What is really amazing abou this is that you will need to look really close if you want to see any sign of bulging in Rose-Tu's belly. Zoo veterinarian Mitch Finnegan states that the elephant abdominal's organs move around to make room for the baby. It's harder to notice with elephants and many animals than it is to see if a human is pregnant.
There are currently about 38,000 to 51,000 Asian elephants remaining in the wild. Much of their decline is due to the loss of habitat and fight for their land with humans.
Asian elephants are considered highly endangered in their range countries, threatened by habitat loss and conflict with humans. It is estimated that only around 38,000 to 51,000 remain in fragmented populations.
Rose-Tu has given birth to before while in the zoo back in 2008. At that time she almost trampled her baby to death but zookeepers intervined to ensure the health of her baby.
We wish Rose-Tu luck!