The Dallas Zoo’s newest African elephant calf, Matope, is now making public appearances in the Giants of the Savanna exhibit after weeks of bonding off-habitat with his herd.
The male calf was born July 26 at the zoo in Oak Cliff after a nearly 21-month pregnancy. According to the Dallas Zoo, he arrived at 12:25 p.m. and weighed about 230 pounds. Zoo officials say he stood and began nursing within his first hour.
The Dallas Zoo announced his name and public debut this week on its official X account. Matope — pronounced maw-toe-pay — comes from the Swahili word for mud or muddy waters. The zoo said the name fits because the calf’s favorite place to explore is the mud wallow in the elephant habitat.
Our baby elephant has a name AND he’s officially out on habitat! 🐘💚
— Dallas Zoo (@DallasZoo) August 19, 2026
Meet Matope (pronounced maw-toe-pay)! His name comes from the Swahili word for “mud” or “muddy waters,” and it couldn’t be more fitting for this mud-loving baby elephant. pic.twitter.com/PHgvcomH7n
Matope is the son of 22-year-old Mlilo and bull elephant Tendaji. FOX 4 reports he is spending time with his mother, older brother Okubili, and aunts Jenny and Gypsy. Zoo staff spent recent weeks babyproofing the African elephant habitat so the calf could safely join the rest of the herd.
Stephanie Allard, the zoo’s chief mission officer, told KERA that other elephants were present at the birth and helped get the calf to his feet. She said Mlilo and Tendaji are “fantastic parents” and that the calf was born directly into the herd. Allard also said every elephant birth is a conservation milestone because it helps people connect with the species and support efforts to protect elephants in the wild.
Visitors may see Matope daily in the Giants of the Savanna, depending on weather and the calf’s comfort level, according to the Dallas Zoo and FOX 4. The zoo has not guaranteed he will be outdoors at a set time.
Mlilo and Tendaji were born in the wild and came to Dallas through a rescue during a drought in Eswatini. Zoo officials have previously said the pregnancy was part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ African Elephant Species Survival Plan.
The Dallas Zoo is at 650 S. R.L. Thornton Freeway. Summer hours are currently 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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