A year after Rita Jean and Oliver made history, the Columbus Zoo’s elephant care team reflects on the milestones, surprises, and unforgettable moments of raising two Asian elephant calves side by side.

For nearly two years, the Columbus Zoo's elephant team quietly prepared for a moment they knew would make history.

Asian elephant pregnancies last approximately 22 months, meaning every milestone requires extraordinary patience, planning, and teamwork. When Sunny welcomed Rita Jean in July 2025 and Phoebe welcomed Oliver just three months later, that preparation became reality. The two calves share the same father, Sabu from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, who spent time at the Columbus Zoo while Cincinnati redesigned its elephant habitat.

Today, Rita Jean and Oliver are growing up alongside their mothers, Phoebe's sister Rudy, bull elephant Johnson, and five-year-old Frankie, Oliver's half-brother. Watching two calves develop together has given the elephant care team a rare opportunity to witness individual personalities, evolving family relationships, and countless moments that continue to surprise even the people who know them best.

Two Different Personalities, One Special Bond

Although they are close in age, Rita Jean and Oliver have made it clear that they are wonderfully different elephants.

The team describes Rita Jean as confident, clever, and adventurous, while Oliver is playful, rambunctious, and admittedly, a bit picky. Those differences have become even more apparent during training.

"Watching them grow side by side has reminded us that every elephant is truly an individual. Rita Jean jumped into new experiences with confidence, while Oliver has taken his own path. We've learned to tailor our approach to each calf instead of expecting them to develop in exactly the same way," said the team.

Even with their different personalities, the two calves remain constant companions. They sleep together, splash through the pool together, wrestle together, and occasionally climb on one another while the other is trying to nap.

"They're just like any brother and sister," the team says with a laugh.

The Herd Has Changed, Too

The biggest surprises weren't limited to the calves.

Over the past year, the team has watched relationships throughout the herd evolve in unexpected ways.

One of the most meaningful changes has been between Sunny and Phoebe. Before the calves were born, they often chose to keep their distance from each other. Today, the two mothers are regularly seen eating side by side while their calves play nearby or nap safely beneath them.

Frankie's role has continued to grow as well. Oliver's five-year-old half-brother (whose father is Hank) has become exactly the gentle role model the team hoped for. "Frankie has never been around such a tiny, fragile elephant before. From the very beginning, he chose to be gentle with Oliver. For a young bull who naturally likes to roughhouse, that patience has been incredible to watch," said the team.

While Frankie spends plenty of time with Oliver, his relationship with Rita Jean is still developing.

"When she decides to give him a chance," one team member joked, "we're confident he'll treat her just as gently."

Learning Right Alongside Them

Last year, the elephant team expected the calves to be intelligent and eager learners.

That prediction proved true.

What surprised them wasn't how quickly the calves learned—It was how differently they learned. Training has progressed at different speeds, each calf responding to its own motivations and building confidence in its own way. Some of the most important milestones happen quietly, often without guests realizing they're witnessing something remarkable.

One example is swimming. Young elephants don't automatically know how to swim in deep water. As the calves grew, the team gradually increased the pool's depth, allowing them to gain confidence until they were comfortably swimming on their own. "Watching them learn to navigate water over their heads is one of the biggest developmental milestones we look for."

They'll Always Be Babies...For Now

When asked what moment made everyone realize the calves weren't babies anymore, the answer surprised us: It hasn't happened yet.

The team still sees “two babies” who curl up together for naps, chase each other around the habitat, wrestle in the water, and find endless ways to entertain everyone watching.
Still, there are small reminders they're growing up. Oliver is beginning to leave Phoebe's side to participate in training sessions on his own. Those moments of growing independence remind the team just how quickly the first year has flown by.

Then they look over at Frankie.

Standing beside his much larger half-brother, Oliver—and Rita Jean—suddenly look tiny again.

Life with Two Elephant Calves

If you ask the elephant team for their funniest memory from the past year, they don't mention one specific moment. Instead, they laugh about a daily challenge. "We spend half our time arguing about which calf did something cuter."

The other half? Trying to decide which calf to watch because they're usually doing two adorable things at the exact same time.

Looking Ahead

As Rita Jean and Oliver approach their first birthdays, the team is excited to see how both calves continue to grow as individuals while strengthening the bonds they've already built with one another and with the rest of the herd.

"This is such a unique opportunity," the team says. "Watching two calves grow up together has taught us just as much as we've taught them. We can't wait to see who they become over the next year."

After spending the past twelve months side by side, one thing is already clear.

Rita Jean and Oliver may share a family tree, but they're writing two wonderfully different stories, and the Columbus Zoo’s elephant care team is grateful to be part of every chapter.