Baby elephant dies at St. Louis zoo weeks after his birth

ST. LOUIS – A baby elephant has died several weeks after it was born at the St. Louis Zoo.

Zoo officials said the Asian elephant calf named Avi was euthanized Sunday because he had developmental problems that limited his ability to feed. The zoo said Avi’s condition had deteriorated quickly in recent days despite feeding assistance and intravenous treatments.

Zoo President and CEO Jeffrey Bonner said everyone at the zoo is “just devastated right now” at the loss of Avi.

The calf was born July 6 to a 24-year-old Asian elephant at the zoo. The zoo’s 27-year-old bull elephant was the father. An elephant pregnancy lasts about 22 months and a calf weighs between 250 and 350 pounds (113 to 159 kilograms) at birth.