ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Ellie is pregnant, Ellie the elephant that is.  The Saint Louis Zoo says this will be number three for the Asian elephant.  Recent tests show that Ellie, now in her third trimester of pregnancy, is carrying a female calf.

The Zoo’s bull elephant, 19-year-old Raja, is the father. He was the first Asian elephant ever born at the Zoo in 1992, and this calf will be his fourth offspring. An elephant pregnancy lasts about 22 months. Ellie is due to deliver in the spring of 2013.

A newborn elephant weighs about 250-350 pounds and Ellie has been receiving regular prenatal health checkups and ultrasound exams by the Zoo’s veterinary team.