There is sadness and disappointment at the Calgary Zoo, with officials announcing the death of a baby elephant.

The mother, Maharani, delivered a stillborn calf five to six months early.

Director of animal care, Dr. Jake Veasey, tells 660News, they had done everything they possibly could to prepare for the upcoming birth, expected in February, even consulting a world-renowned expert.

“We now know we can absolutely provide elephants with an appropriate social and physical environment in which they can perform the right behaviours in order to take care of that calf.  In this instance, the stars never aligned for us and that calf was tragically destined not to survive from a very early age,” says Dr. Veasey.

The elephants are monitored by video 24-hours a day.

Dr. Veasey says it was both comforting and heartbreaking for them to watch Maharani behave with the baby as she would in the wild.

Statement from the Calgary Zoo:

‘As announced in April 2012, zoo officials advise they remain committed to
ultimately relocate the elephants to an appropriate facility that meets the
established criteria.  Given the extensive preparations the zoo had every reason
to assume this birth would be successful and had planned the elephants’
relocation on a time frame that would address the need to ensure the calf was
sufficiently strong to survive the challenges posed by relocation.  Therefore no
decision has yet been made regarding a new home for them. The zoo will
continue its global search to ensure finding the best possible location for the
elephants where they will be allowed to reproduce, expand their family unit and
to make a contribution to the conservation of this magnificent species.’