Participating in elephant birth watch was a great honor. We all hoped to be the great lottery winner and be there for the birth! Meanwhile, we steadily wrote down everything happening every 15 minutes, from BMs to elephant naps. Max the dog kept us company during those dark midnight to 4 a.m. shifts when no one was about and all was quiet (with the exception of occasional distant roaring and grunting from Jonathan the lion). I am very proud of the Houston Zoo’s commitment to our elephant herd, particularly the work the Houston Zoo has done (in conjunction with the Baylor College of Medicine, the EEHV Asia Working Group, and other partners) to combat the elephant herpes virus.