Amsterdam’s Artis Zoo got an unusual Christmas present—an Asian elephant calf whose birth was expected, just not so soon.
Mother and baby, a male, are reported doing well. The delivery, which was unassisted, took about 10 minutes and the calf began nursing immediately. No name so far: the zoo is asking the public for suggestions, “provided the chosen name connects to the species’ habitat.’ So no ‘Boaty McBoatface’ entries, please. The mother’s name is Thong Thai.
Zoo staff say they had noticed changes in the herd earlier in the day, according to the team leader, who said that “We saw the herd changing throughout the day. At the end of the day, we checked the barn one last time. We were alert, but we did not expect it to happen so quickly. Yet the calf was born almost immediately.” The rest of the herd, including Thong Thai’s youngest daughter, who is also pregnant, remained close throughout the birth, circling the calf in a protective formation.
The calf may soon have a companion of similar age; Thong Thai’s youngest daughter is pregnant with a sibling who will also be a niece or nephew of the new arrival.
