Scientific evidence showing elephants over the age of 24 at the first breeding face significant risks to themselves or their calves, or both.  Please click the elephant's name for more information. 

Lady, a 33 year old elephant at the Kansas Zoo, had a stillborn calf in September 2001.  In November 1999, Lady became pregant after breeding by Casey. She carried the calf to term but was unable to give birth. After unsuccessful injections of oxytocin, trans-rectal and trans-abdominal ultrasounds were repeated in June/July 2005 to reassess the calf. In December 2006 a vesibulotomy was performed to remove the mummified fetus after the onset of labor.

Tika, 24 years old, died at Maine World Vallejo, CA during her first-time pregnancy. in September 2002.

Ibala, 24 years old, died at Disney's Animal Kingdom during her first-time pregnancy in May 2005.

Genny C., 29 years old, Rochester Zoo, was impregnated via artificial insemination and her calf died in utero in February 2006.

Dottie, 26 years old, died at the Atlanta Zoo during her first-time pregnancy in October 2008.

Other recent deaths include Mary, 23 years old, who died at the Montgomery Zoo last summer during her first-time pregnancy. 

What Kallie and Bette can look forward to (note the bullhook and chain):

Below is a photo of a female elephant being prepared for artificial insemination,

an extremely invasive and painful procedure that the zoo plans to perform on Kallie and Bette if

they are not successfully impregnated by bull elephant Jackson.