LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Typical human pregnancies last around nine months. But for African elephants it’s more than double that.
Mikki the African elephant at the Louisville Zoo has entered her birthing window (the gestation period is typically 22 to 24 months, longer than any other mammal).
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Staff are on 24-hour watch and are taking blood samples daily.
She conceived via artificial insemination, which is a common practice for pigs, cattle and horses. It was developed in elephants in the 1990s, according to zoo officials.
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