Her Name Is Maliha
Maliha (pronounced muh-lee-ah) means "strong" and "beautiful." She weighed 341 pounds when she was born on August 2, 2006. Some of her favorite things include playing in the water, playing soccer and playing with her half-sister and best friend, Jade. On most summer days she can be seen outdoors for periods of time with her mother and Jade.
A Great Mom and Grandmother
Maliha is Ellie's second baby and the first for the baby's father, Raja. Raja was the first elephant ever born at the Saint Louis Zoo. His birth date is December 27, 1992.
Ellie is a fantastic mother and has helped guide the little one from the moment she was born. Ellie is also grandmother to Jade, born February 25 to Ellie's daughter Rani.
The Saint Louis Zoo has been actively involved with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for Asian elephants. Together AZA-accredited zoos manage the breeding of Asian elephants to maintain healthy, self-sustaining populations that are genetically diverse and demographically stable.
We care about elephants. Currently, there are fewer than 35,000 Asian elephants in the wild. There's no question that the Asian elephant population is facing extinction. Besides working with the AZA Species Survival Plan, our Zoo also supports conservation projects for Asian elephants in Sumatra and Sri Lanka.
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