Whipsnade Zoo Welcomes 110kg Asian Elephant Calf After 22-Month Gestation
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 11
Whipsnade Zoo Welcomes 110kg Asian Elephant Calf After 22-Month Gestation
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 11
Summary
Late Monday, Donna gave birth at Whipsnade Zoo to a 1m-tall, 110kg male Asian elephant calf, with both mother and calf reported to be doing well.
The birth followed a 22-month gestation and was captured on CCTV, with zoo staff calling Donna an exceptional mother after she previously raised the calf's sister, Nang Phaya.
Whipsnade said the calf is a vital addition to the European breeding programme for endangered Asian elephants, which face habitat fragmentation, human-wildlife conflict and climate change in the wild.
The zoo is now running a prize draw to help choose the calf's name from a shortlist created by its conservation team in Thailand, linking it to hope, the future and legacy.