Baby elephant debut in Rockton

At one month old, she weighs 380 pounds. But people who saw her public debut at the African Lion Safari Friday still wanted to pick her up and take her home.

Lisa Hepfner was at the park when the newest little elephant made an adorable entrance.

Meet Nellie.

Stephan Botha is the elephant handler for the African Lion Safari: “She’s one of the most confident baby elephants we’ve ever had. She’s discovered there’s a world outside of mom and she wants to conquer it. She loves running around, plays in the water like crazy, she’s already gone for her first swim or two.”

The visitors were impressed:

“The idea, to get to see it, first time, that is awesome.”

I’m like, Mom, that’s what I want for my birthday.”

“She’s so sweet. I want to take her home.”

“She is really cute. She was playing with the carrots.”

She really is just playing with the carrots. She won’t eat solid food for another month.

“It’s a very intricate part for her, to learn to use her trunk while playing.”

Fourteen elephants have been born so far at African Lion Safari, more second-generation births than anywhere else in North America. The Asian elephant herd here is the largest on the continent. Nellie is the first all Canadian birth.

Her mom Natasha was born here in 1994 and her dad Johnson was born in 2001,

Unlike elephants at zoos in Toronto and Calgary, the African Lion Safari says their elephants are thriving.

“We have a large herd. These guys get tons of time to be outside and do what’s natural. We have a very cohesive group with a variety of animals of different ages and different backgrounds, males and females, and that allows these guys to fluorish.”

Then they perform.

“We don’t necessarily teach them to do tricks. Everything they do here is something they naturally do on their own. They all have different personalities and they all pick up certain things quicker. we kinda let they do what they want to do.”

Nellie will come out to meet people after every elephant show now, as she gets used to the world around her.