Conservation Center Has Pregnant Elephant for First Time in 11 Years

The elephant is expected to deliver her calf this summer.

A conservation center outside Pittsburgh has announced that they are housing a pregnant elephant in their facility for the first time in 11 years.

Read: Lone Unadopted Dog at Shelter Becomes the Most Popular Pup in Town as Applications Pour In

The International Conservation Center in Somerset County rescued 23-year-old Seeni from Botswana in 2011, and the facility has been her home since.

Seeni is the first pregnant elephant at the center in its 11-year history. She is expected to give birth in June or July.

“It’s very exciting times,” Willie Theison, the facility's elephant program manager, told TRIBLive. He expects the newborn to weigh about 200 pounds.

Theison is concerned for Seeni because years ago in Botswana she gave birth to a baby but rejected it.
Should the mother reject her young, they will move the calf to the Pittsburgh Zoo where they have more elephants.

Read: Shelter Bombarded With Requests to Adopt 2 Dozen Puppies Saved From Animal Hoarder

"We're most concerned with [the mother and her calf's] health," Theison said, adding that his team will be keeping a close eye on Seeni.

According to the International Conservation Center’s website, it is “the premier conservation, research, education, breeding and training facility, specializing in the care and breeding of African elephants.”

Watch: Last-Itch Effort: Elephant Rubs Against an Anthill to Relieve a Scratch on Its Bottom