A pair of little grey trunks
Thursday 30 September 2004
Whipsnade Wild Animal Park celebrates another trumpeting success with the birth of its second Asian elephant calf in just seven months
The new male elephant, born on Saturday 25th September to 20 year old mother, Azizah, will be another important addition to the International Breeding Programme for this endangered species.
After a pregnancy of 22 months, Azizah's labour lasted just an hour, and within minutes the calf was standing and suckling from his mother. He weighed a whopping 128 kg on arrival, is about 90 cm tall and has a fluffy layer of hair all over his body.
Azizah is one of the three Asian elephants moved from London Zoo to Whipsnade in December 2001 and our new arrival further underlines ZSL's commitment to participating in the International Breeding Programme to protect these animals from extinction.
Both mother and baby are doing exceptionally well considering this is Azizah's first calf. Her labour went very smoothly and she is proving to be an excellent mother. Azizah has benefited from having the opportunity to learn her mothering skills from Kaylee and her calf, just as she would in the wild.
Come and see the new addition and the rest of the herd in the elephant paddock when you are next in the Park!
