Baby Elephant Back On Feet After Surgery: Reports

UPDATE — A baby elephant at Pittsburgh's zoo, reported to be critically ill this week, is back on her feet and taking nourishment through a feeding tube after surgery Wednesday, according to media reports. Her caregivers at the zoo said Thursday she had received several feedings and was recovering normally.

"We are very thankful for all of the wonderful wishes everyone has sent her way and we hope these positive thoughts and messages keep coming as the baby recovers," the baby elephant's caregivers said on her blog.

In Wednesday's procedure, veterinarians at the zoo inserted a feeding tube after the baby elephant had stopped eating due to teething issues. She lost a lot of weight, endangering her health, zoo officials said.

The officials said the 24 to 48 hours after the surgery would be "a critical time" for the baby elephant, WTAE-TV reported.

To check out the baby elephant's blog at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, please click here.

PITTSBURGH, PA — A popular baby elephant at the Pittsburgh Zoo is in grave condition and underwent surgery Wednesday to insert a feeding tube, according to media reports. The zoo staff said the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical for the female pachyderm

The baby elephant made her public debut last month, KDKA-TV CBS2 reported. She was born a month early and weighed only 184 pounds, about 52 pounds below the normal weight.

Officials at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium said Wednesday afternoon that her health had taken a turn for the worse and she is in critical condition, according to media reports.

The zoo officials said the baby elephant is teething and she has a sore mouth, causing her to stop eating, KDKA-TV reported. This has caused her to lose weight; she's lost 15 pounds since her birth. The weight loss endangers her life because she was born premature and underweight.

The feeding tube will meet the elephant's dietary needs every two hours. After surgery, she'll be returned to her pen, where the zoo staff will monitor her condition, said Dr. Barbara Baker, the zoo's director.

Image: Joy, a baby elephant who was born recently at the zoo in Houston. A female baby elephant at the Pittsburgh Zoo underwent surgery Wednesday (Patch file).

Patch will update this story as it develops.