Pachyderm family grows at Oregon Zoo

PORTLAND – Rose-Tu has given birth to her first baby, the 28th elephant born in the history of the Oregon Zoo.

The Asian elephant delivered the calf Saturday afternoon and immediately kicked it, a common way mother elephants encourage infants to stand.

The Oregonian newspaper reported that zookeepers rushed in when the kicking became too violent.

The baby was able to stand and breathe on its own, but zoo officials were worried about possible internal injuries.

There is a 30 percent infant mortality rate among captive Asian elephants.