Elephants' weights closely tracked

By Carrie Coppernoll | Published: November 21, 2010 Comment on this article

Multimedia

Videoview all videos

Elephant Nation: The Big Red Ball

Nov 20Pachyderm keeper Dorothy Foreman talks about one of the...

Elephant Nation: The Web Cam

Nov 20Zoo Director Dwight Scott talks about the importance of...

Elephant Nation: Fancy Footwork

Nov 20An elephant pedicure? Find out why these ladies are...

Elephant Nation : Trainers

Nov 20Pachyderm trainers talk about how they train Asha &...

Photoview all 8 photos

Article Gallery: Elephants' weights closely tracked

NewsOK Related Articles

Feeding Asian elephants creates challenges
11/24/2010 Keeping Asian elephants fed requires lots of food and lots of strategy.
NewsOK camera gives behind-the-scenes look at Oklahoma City Zoo elephants
11/21/2010 OKC Zoo and NewsOK have launched a live elephant camera at the Oklahoma City Zoo. The camera gives viewers a chance to see the elephants for the next few...
Oklahoma City elephant health to be watched even more closely as birth nears
11/21/2010 The elephants at the Oklahoma City Zoo are checked out every day for any health concerns, and veterinarian staff exam them up-close at least once a month.
Oklahoma City Zoo trainers' treatment of elephants helps keep animals healthy
11/21/2010 Zookeepers use positive reinforcement to help animals learn the skills they need for medical checks and other daily tasks.
Trainers prepare elephant for birth
11/21/2010 Oklahoma City Zoo workers have been training Asha to prepare her for the birth of her calf.
Baths give keepers chance to check elephants
11/19/2010 Zookeepers bathe elephants regularly, but Asha and Chandra usually cover themselves in dirt immediately afterward.
Keepers try to make days interesting for elephants
11/19/2010 Keepers have to be sure elephants, like all animals at the Oklahoma City Zoo, have plenty of entertaining items to keep them mentally stimulated. Enrichment...
Elephant foot care poses unique challenges
11/19/2010 Zookeepers and veterinarians are always tending to the feet of elephants in captivity because the animals have unique foot care needs.

Related Venues

â€œWe want to make sure they're not getting too fat,â€ said D'Agostino, director of veterinary services for the zoo. â€œ... It's really important for their overall health.â€

Asha weighs about 7,500 pounds, and Chandra weighs about 7,300. Asha is bigger because she is older, not necessarily because she is pregnant, D'Agostino said.

Both are adolescents, so they're still growing, she said. Asha should only gain a few hundred pounds during her pregnancy.