Pairi Daiza welcomes second elephant calf of the summer
An Asian elephant calf has been born at Pairi Daiza animal park in Hainaut. The as-yet unnamed calf is the second for its mother, 14-year-old Soraya.
The elephant was born at 18 minutes past midnight on Thursday in the elephant dormitory, surrounded by his grandmother, Khaing Hnin Hnin, and the rest of the group. The calf is doing well and his mother is also doing fine, according to an announcement by the zoo on Saturday.
“A birth is always an exciting challenge for the team, both before and after,” says elephant keeper Nicolas Covens.
“We spent hours together keeping watch to make sure the birth went well, both for Soraya and her calf. We are now ready to ensure the follow-up in the coming days.”
This is the second elephant arrival at Pairi Daiza this summer, following the birth of Siam to Farina in June.
"A birth is always an exciting challenge for the team, both before and after"
The Asian elephant is classified as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Experts estimate that between 40,000 and 52,000 individuals still live in the wild, across 13 Asian countries. The fragmentation of their habitat, conflicts with humans and disease directly threaten their survival.
The Pairi Daiza herd, with 17 elephants, is one of the largest in Europe.
The unnamed new calf © PHOTO PAIRI DAIZA
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