# Two questions about large mammals, pregnancy, and zoos

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-large-mammals-pregnancy-and-zoos/556149>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 5, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-large-mammals-pregnancy-and-zoos/556149 "2010-10-05T17:52:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-large-mammals-pregnancy-and-zoos/556149/1 "2010-10-05T17:52:22Z")

</div>

How frequently do elephants, rhinos, hippos, and giraffes suffer breech births?

If this happens in captivity, what can a veterinarian do to save mother and child?

No special reason for the questions.

ETA: I suppose the first question is actually four. Ah well.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-large-mammals-pregnancy-and-zoos/556149/2 "2010-10-05T18:56:09Z")

</div>

I don’t know about exotic animals, but cows sometimes need James Herriott to stick his hand up in there and fiddle around. Sometimes with a rope.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-large-mammals-pregnancy-and-zoos/556149/3 "2010-10-05T18:57:02Z")

</div>

NM

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\
**Post date:** [October 5, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-questions-about-large-mammals-pregnancy-and-zoos/556149/4 "2010-10-05T19:27:45Z")

</div>

> [@Zsofia](#):
>
> I don’t know about exotic animals, but cows sometimes need James Herriott to stick his hand up in there and fiddle around. Sometimes with a rope.

These days it’s a job for Mike Rowe. 😃