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MELBOURNE - No baby elephant has ever been born in Australia - but now three elephants are pregnant at zoos in Sydney and Melbourne.
Zoo authorities announced today a third elephant, Pontipp, is in the maternity wing, as a result of artificial insemination (AI) at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.
She joins Thong Dee, impregnated naturally by mate Gong at Taronga last year and Dokkoon which was impregnated by artificial insemination at Melbourne Zoo also last year.
The two AI infants were sired by Melbourne's Bong Su - described by vet Michael Lynch as "the most fertile bull in the world".
Dr Lynch told AAP Bong Su's sperm count is 1.2 billion per millilitre.
A regular high fertile elephant produces about 800 to 900 per millilitre.
Dokkoon and Pontipp both became pregnant on the first attempt.
"It just shows his fertility is very high," Dr Lynch said.
"When you look at it under a microscope it's very concentrated, very mobile. And now we've had great success with the first two attempts, two AI's and two pregnancies, that's the proof of the pudding."
Ultrasound images of Dokkoon's baby calf show its tiny trunk.
The images are the only ones anyone is likely to see before she has her calf sometime between December 2009 and January 2010.
Dokkoon is now five months pregnant, and as the pregnancy progresses, the uterus drops over the edge of the pelvis and the baby is no longer visible.
Dr Lynch said the ultrasound images were very exciting because the technology was so new - it has only been in use for the past 12 to 18 months.
Zoo staff reacted very emotionally to seeing the images, Dr Lynch said.
"Everyone thought, oh that's so cute'... it just makes it real. It just shows life and it's really nice to see the calf moving around."
Excitement is mounting at both zoos as preparations progress.
"This is the first pregnancy at the zoo, it's not just the first birth, we have to manage the pregnancy, manage the birth, she's a first time mum," Dr Lynch said.
Zoo staff are trying to keep Dokkoon healthy by making sure she eats well and exercises plenty,
She is taken for walks around the zoo, practices picking up logs and even performs stretches.
Taronga and Melbourne zoos are working closely on the pregnancy and birth plans, and getting advice from experts around the world.
Senior elephant keeper Dave McKelson, who has a close relationship with Dokkoon said her personality had changed slightly since she became pregnant.
"She's certainly a bit more clingy than usual I'd say, when we come out in the paddock we do spend quite a bit of time with the elephants here and it's not unusual for her just to follow you round the paddock."
He said the situation was "terribly exciting" and zoo staff were "just over the moon" with the pregnancy.
Dokkoon and Bong Su were two of eight elephants to arrive in Australia from Thailand in November 2006 to establish the new regional breeding program.
- AAP