From Mike Naughton

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY CENTER FOR ELEPHANT CONSERVATION® CELEBRATES ITS 15TH ANNIVERSARY WITH THE BIRTH OF ITS 23RDELEPHANT (April 15, 2010 – Vienna, VA) – The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation® proudly announces the birth of a healthy female Asian elephant – marking the twenty-third birth in what has proven to be the most successful Asian elephant breeding program in the Western Hemisphere. Born on April 3rd, at 9:30 p.m. and weighing 265 pounds, the calf has been named April. This is the fourth calf bred between 34 –year old Alana and 37-year old Charlie, and April has three siblings, 4-year old Irvin, 6-year old Asha and 12-year old Doc. “Since opening the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation fifteen years ago our mission has been to preserve and sustain the endangered Asian elephant species,” says Kenneth Feld, Founder of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. “April’s birth at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation® is yet another proven milestone in our commitment to ensure the survival of this majestic species and for future generations to experience.” Mike