Baby elephant ‘up and moving’ after feeding tube inserted

Baby elephant 'up and moving' after feeding tube inserted | iNFOnews.ca
In this Friday, July 7, 2017 file photo, young visitors view the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium's 4-week-old baby elephant as it meets the public for the first time at the elephant family room in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium says a baby elephant born prematurely in May is “up and moving around” after a feeding tube was inserted to help it gain much-needed weight, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. (Andrew Rush/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP, File)

PITTSBURGH – A Pennsylvania zoo says a baby elephant born prematurely in May is “up and moving around” after a feeding tube was inserted to help it gain much-needed weight.

Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium spokeswoman Tracy Gray says the still-unnamed female elephant has been given a number of feedings and its tube and gastrointestinal tract are working normally.

On Wednesday the zoo said the baby had taken a “turn for the worse” and was in critical condition. The feeding tube was inserted Thursday.

The zoo told WJAC-TV on Friday the baby is taking a pint of formula every four hours, plus a bottle of milk.

The baby’s mother rejected it and hasn’t produced milk, forcing the zoo to feed it with a bottle.

The elephant’s teething led to a diminished appetite, causing it to lose weight.

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