Moscow’s zoo shows off baby Asian elephant to public

MOSCOW – Huddling close to his mother, a baby Asian elephant has faced the public for the first time at the Moscow zoo

The appearance of Filimon, who already weighs 90 kilograms (198 pounds), is such a rare occasion that Moscow City Hall dispatched a deputy mayor to present the baby elephant to the public. Some visitors specifically went to the zoo on Tuesday to see the newborn.

Filimon, born less than a month ago to parents who have been living in Moscow since the late 1980s, has increased the number of the elephant family at the zoo to five.

Visibly disoriented, the baby walked into the sunlit enclosure Tuesday morning, sticking close to his mother and trying to grab carrots scattered on the floor.