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Powell, OH – Today, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital joined together to celebrate new life in two very special ways—welcoming newborns at the hospital and honoring the Zoo’s newest Asian elephant calf with a community “baby shower.”
As part of the festivities, the Zoo sent 40 gift packages to OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital—one for every baby in the maternity unit—on Friday, August 29, 2025. The symbolic ADOPT packages provided to newborns and their families are made possible through OhioHealth’s generous support. Each gift includes an elephant ADOPT plushie, a specialized adoption certificate noting that the baby shares a birthday with the Zoo’s celebration for Sunny’s baby girl, an “I adopted a baby elephant” sticker, a photo of the calf, and an Asian elephant fact sheet.
“We are excited and honored to be part of this beautiful celebration and announcement,” said Cherie Smith, PhD, MBA, RN, president of OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital. “Our commitment goes beyond providing exceptional care—we also strive to create meaningful experiences for our patients and families. We believe this gesture from the Columbus Zoo will add a special memory to their birthing experience; one they will cherish forever."
“We’re so excited to celebrate Sunny’s calf alongside the families welcoming new babies today at OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital,” said Tom Schmid, President and CEO of the Columbus Zoo and The Wilds. “Both represent the joy of new beginnings and the importance of community. This partnership is a wonderful reflection of how, while we care for elephants here at the Zoo, we are also committed to the families and neighbors who support us. Together, with partners like OhioHealth and the support of our community, we can create lasting memories and help ensure a brighter future for elephants and people.”
OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital welcomes approximately 3,000 babies each year.
A Baby Shower for Sunny’s Calf and soon-to-be mom, Phoebe
On August 29, 2025 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., guests at the Columbus Zoo joined in celebrating the arrival of Sunny’s calf—born July 23, 2025— and Phoebe’s forthcoming baby by attending a themed “Elephant Baby Shower.” The celebration featured baby-themed enrichment for the elephants, Keeper Talks presented by Fifth Third Bank, and other family-friendly activities.
This calf is the first of two anticipated elephant births at the Zoo in 2025. In addition to Sunny’s recently-born calf, 38-year-old Phoebe, an experienced mother, is also expecting a calf later this fall. Both pregnancies were recommended through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ (AZA) Species Survival Plan® (SSP), which manages healthy, genetically diverse populations of endangered species in professional care.
How the Community Can Help Support Elephants
In addition to today’s celebrations, the Columbus Zoo is inviting the community to continue making a difference for elephants through its online “baby registry,” presented by OhioHealth. Supporters can:
- Visit the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
- Symbolically ADOPT an elephant
- Donate to the Zoo’s Conservation Fund
Conservation Impact
Asian elephants are classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species™, with wild populations facing habitat loss, fragmentation, and poaching. The Columbus Zoo has long been committed to elephant care and conservation through:
- Leadership in the AZA SAFE: Asian Elephant Program, an initiative that leverages collective expertise to protect the species’ future
- A pivotal role in in combating Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpesvirus (EEHV)—a deadly virus affecting elephants both in their native range and in professional care—through the Columbus Zoo’s on-site diagnostic lab
- A founding role in the Center for Species Survival (CSS) for Asian Elephants in India—the first CSS hub focused on a single species—uniquely located in the heart of the elephant’s native range. This collaborative effort builds on global partnerships to address the most pressing threats identified across the species’ 13 range countries.
Through these efforts, and with the support of the community, the Zoo is helping ensure a brighter future for elephants locally and globally.
For additional information about the Columbus Zoo’s conservation initiatives, events, educational programs, and more, follow the Zoo’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn, and visit us at ColumbusZoo.org.
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About the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
Home to more than 600 animal species from around the world, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium leads by making a positive impact on people, wildlife, and wild places. The Zoo complex is a recreational and education destination that includes the 23-acre Zoombezi Bay waterpark and 18-hole Safari Golf Club. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also manages The Wilds, a nearly 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio. The Zoo is a wildlife conservation organization with regional, national, and global impact, annually supporting conservation and research projects locally and worldwide. The Columbus Zoo is an award-winning destination, recently named the top zoo in Ohio by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice, affirming its position as one of the most respected and impactful zoological institutions in the country. For more information, please visit ColumbusZoo.org.
About OhioHealth
Based in Columbus, Ohio, OhioHealth is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, charitable, healthcare outreach of the United Methodist Church.
Serving its communities since 1891, OhioHealth is a family of 35,000 associates, physicians and volunteers, and a network of 16 hospitals, three joint-venture hospitals, 200+ ambulatory sites and other health services spanning a 50-county area. For more information, visit ohiohealth.com.
