Fort Worth Zoo

Babe was the zoo's oldest female Asian elephant.

FORT WORTH — A 40-year-old Asian elephant named Babe died Thursday morning from labor-related complications at the Fort Worth Zoo, officials announced Friday.

Babe was the oldest female of the zoo's herd of seven Asian elephants. Zoo officials said that Babe went into labor Sunday afternoon, but the calf failed to move into the birth canal. Babe died while sleeping about 7:30 a.m. Thursday.

"I can't remember a more difficult time for our elephant staff," said Ron Surratt, the zoo's animal collections director, said in a written statement. "She will be deeply missed by all of the zoo's staff and our guests."

Babe came to the Fort Worth Zoo in 1991 as part of its elephant breeding program. Zoo officials said the 22-month pregnancies for elephants are often risky. Slightly more than one-third end with a dead or stillborn calf, according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

In 2007, only three Asian elephants were born in zoos and animal facilities throughout North America. The estimated population of Asian elephant in the wild is between 36,000 and 51,000, zoo officials said.