OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium’s almost threeweek-old African elephant calf has been named.
The calf's name is Amandra.
Read the press release below:
The name, pronounced “ah-MON-dra,” was chosen by a Zoo donor and their family and means “strong woman.”
Jayei, the calf’s mother and the matriarch of the Zoo’s herd, was the inspiration behind it.
Since her arrival with daughter Omma in 2016, Jayei—whose name means “a woman strong like an elephant”—has been a proven leader and experienced mother. She has guided the other adult females of the herd on their journeys as mothers and has helped watch over their calves.
The Zoo is now home to nine African elephants, four of which are calves:
- Eugenia, born on January 7, 2022 to Kiki
- Sonny, born on January 20, 2022 to Claire
- Mopani, born on March 2, 2023 to Lolly
- Amandra, born on August 6, 2023, to Jayei
A fifth calf, to expectant mother Omma, is due to arrive in spring 2024.
Amandra currently weight is 290 pounds, a 10-pound gain from her first documented weight, and continues to explore her habitat.
“She is interacting with her siblings and in this heat, has joined the others in the mud wallow,” said Sarah Armstrong, the Zoo’s elephant manager.
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