A zookeeper predicted the weight of a new baby elephant to be 227 pounds when it was born. The elephant actually weighed 259 pounds at birth. What was the percent error of the zookeeper's prediction?

To calculate the percent error of the zookeeper's prediction, we can use the formula:

\[ \text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{|\text{Actual Value} - \text{Predicted Value}|}{\text{Actual Value}} \right) \times 100% \]

In this case, the actual weight of the baby elephant is 259 pounds, and the predicted weight is 227 pounds.

First, we find the absolute error:

\[ |\text{Actual Value} - \text{Predicted Value}| = |259 - 227| = 32 \text{ pounds} \]

Next, we plug this into the percent error formula:

\[ \text{Percent Error} = \left( \frac{32}{259} \right) \times 100% \]

Calculating the fraction:

\[ \frac{32}{259} \approx 0.1236 \]

Now, multiplying by 100 to get the percentage:

\[ 0.1236 \times 100 \approx 12.36% \]

Therefore, the percent error of the zookeeper's prediction is D. 12.36%.