Tula-Tu is Boopin' You

Oregon Zoo baby is ready to greet her public

The 3nd week in February, visitors to the Oregon Zoo got their first glimpse of Tula-Tu, the infant Asian elephant born February 1st. She is spirited and sweet and an absolute favorite of adoring fans coming from far and wide to see her. I particularly love the enthusiastic reactions from the kids interviewed in the news story embedded below.

Tula-Tu gets her name from the Sanskrit word tula, meaning “balance.” And she’s already fulfilling her role admirably. Like the three adult females at the zoo, elephants are matriarchal, spending their time in female-centered groups. But without a focus, the trio at the zoo have mostly kept to themselves. Tula-Tu brings an equilibrium back to the herd, with mom and aunts rallying together in excitement over the new baby, stroking her with their trunks and watching her play and learn.

The “Tu” part of Tula’s name honors her lineage, coming from her mom Rose-Tu and grandma Me-Tu. Plus, “Tula-Tu” is just fun to say. Related to zoo royalty, Tula-Tu’s great-half-uncle Packy (Me-Tu’s half-brother) in 1962 was the first elephant born in the Western Hemisphere in 44 years and at the time of his death in 2017 the oldest male Asian elephant in North America.

Little Tula-Tu has already reached national celebrity status, with two segments devoted to her and her keepers on NBC’s Today show, positioning her as the forerunner of the show’s “cutest animal of 2025” list. The zoo hopes that the increased media exposure in the wake of Tula-Tu’s celebrity will broaden the cause of saving endangered Asian elephants. There are only 40,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants in fragmented populations remaining worldwide, their home range overlapping with some of the most human-populated places on Earth. The zoo itself is partnering in conservation and rescue efforts in Borneo, where the world’s smallest elephants live.

Check out more info about the adorable Tula-Tu by exploring the links below.

Oregon Zoo: "Rose-Tu's calf has a name: 'Tula-Tu' brings balance to the herd" 2/13/25