The pitter-patter of baby elephant feet at Hogle Zoo will have to wait.

A German artificial insemination team's attempt to make Christie, the Indian elephant, a mom was unsuccessful, said Nancy Carpenter, the zoo's lead veterinarian.

"Typically, we anticipate having to try multiple times," she said Thursday.

A recent blood test revealed that the pregnancy attempt had failed.

Zoo staffers hope to schedule a return visit from the German team in early July, said Holly Braithwaite, spokeswoman for the zoo.

Carpenter said blood testing can predict a window of opportunity for Christie about 100 days in advance. Female elephants have about three or four times a year when they can become pregnant.

For each pregnancy attempt, team members must obtain genetic material from male elephant donors shortly before the procedure. In March, the team had samples from three different zoos participating in a species survival plan for the Asian elephant.

If the procedure had been successful, experts would have come to the zoo to perform an ultrasound, which must be done inside the elephant due to the creature's thick skin.

"Hopefully, the next time it will take," Carpenter said.

glavine@sltrib.com