CALGARY — Zoo officials hope a special blood transfusion will give a baby elephant the infection-fighting antibodies it needs that it would normally get from mothers milk.

The pachyderm born last week at the Calgary Zoo has been at risk for health problems after it was rejected by her mother and grandmother.

The unnamed elephant has also been treated with antibiotics, said zoo spokeswoman Trish Exton-Parder Friday. Officials give the animal a 50 per cent chance of surviving.

"She's fighting an infection right now so they're having to medicate her with some antibiotics which is likely due to not having enough of mom's initial milk,'' she said.

"We are cautiously optimistic because she's not in great shape. She's stable but she's not doing really, really well and so we just have to be realistic about that scenario.''

Maharani, the 14-year-old mother of the calf, doesn't seem to understand what the baby is or what it wants. Maharani was born at the zoo in 1990. The baby's grandmother, Kamala, has rejected her as well.

Veterinarians, with the help of Canadian Blood Services, obtained blood from two female elephants at the zoo. It was sent to a Vancouver laboratory where the blood was processed and the plasma component extracted.

"They collected two full bags from each of the female elephants and then we assisted them with the packing of it because it is temperature controlled,'' said Doris Kaufmann, a spokeswoman for Canadian Blood Services in Calgary.

The yet-to-be-named baby was born just before midnight Nov. 16, weighing 110 kilograms. It received the antibody rich blood last weekend.

The calf is being kept separate from the adults in the elephant building, in an area where she can still see and smell her mother.

Keepers have been trying to express milk from Rani and have managed to keep her calm enough to nurse the baby a bit.