In adorable and exciting news, Melbourne Zoo just welcomed its first-ever naturally conceived elephant calf. Following a 22-month pregnancy, mother Dokkoon gave birth this morning at 1am while surrounded by the zoo's tightly knit crew of female Asian Elephants.
The calf is the first of three expected to be born by early 2023, with mothers Num Oi and Mali also pregnant. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child – these simultaneous pregnancies mean that the calves will be raised by the entire herd, offering huge benefits for herd cohesion and social development.
"It's such a joy to welcome this beautiful elephant calf to our herd and to witness its first interactions," says Erin Gardiner, the life science manager of the Melbourne Zoo Trail of Elephants.
Before you buy tickets to the zoo to see the wee babe, be warned that it may be a few weeks or even months before mum and calf will be visible to the public. "We are giving mother and calf all the quiet time and space they need to bond and develop their relationship with one another and the herd," says Gardiner. But in the meantime, if you're a Zoos Victoria member, you'll be invited to enter a competition to help name the zoo's latest addition.
For those living close to the city, fair warning: in 2024, the entire Asian Elephant herd will be moved from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo following the completion of an $88-million-dollar expansion funded by the Victorian government.
After some more wholesome animal news? Collins Street's famous falcon hatchlings are ready to fly the coop.
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