A baby elephant was welcomed into the world at Pairi Daiza zoo earlier this month. On the morning of 14 June, one of the park’s resident Asian elephants, Farina, gave birth to a male calf.
"The newborn is doing well. So is his mother. Both are pampered and followed with the utmost care by the park's teams, within their united matriarchal group," said the zoo.
The arrival of the little calf, who has not yet been named, brings the total number of elephants at the zoo up to 16, making it one of the largest herds in Europe.
The baby elephant has not yet been named. Credit: Pairi Daiza.
The elephant's birth was captured on video by staff at Pairi Daiza and posted on the zoo’s Instagram feed. The footage shows the calf being born in the middle of the herd.
“As soon as the calf arrived, the females present let out powerful barks, a well-known social behaviour among elephants, who collectively mark the arrival of a new member,” the zoo said.
In the video, the newborn baby elephant is shown trying to get up. He is helped on his way with a not-so-gentle nudge from his mother. The zoo explained that mother elephants often do this to “stimulate their lungs and help them breathe”.
A couple of days after his birth, the young calf was recorded taking his first steps outside, once again surrounded by the rest of the herd.
The baby elephant pictured next to its mother. Credit: Pairi Daiza.
VIDEO: An elephant is born at Pairi Daiza
As is customary, the public will be invited to help choose the baby elephant’s name.
According to the zoo, visitors can catch a glimpse of the calf and the rest of the herd by taking a trip on the park’s steam train.
Elephant gestation periods are longer than those of any other mammal. An Asian elephant like Farina will carry young for between 18 and 22 months, while African elephants are pregnant for an average of 22 months.
Worldwide, elephant populations are dwindling as a result of organised crime and the ivory trade. Breeding programs at zoos therefore play an important role in elephant conservation.
