It’s a girl!
If there are two things every girl loves to hear about its babies and elephants so this news is just perfect.
A new Asian elephant has arrived at Dublin Zoo. The calf was born on Monday evening weighing around 70kg and is just in 1 metre tall.
Mum Asha gave birth to the healthy baby after a 22-month long pregnancy. Although this calf is Asha’s first child, this is the fourth baby elephant to have been born at Dublin Zoo in two years.
The unnamed baby is the 8th elephant to join the herd in Dublin Zoo.
Gerry Creighton, Operations Manager at Dublin Zoo spoke about the exciting news.
“We are delighted with the new arrival and happy to report that both mum and calf are doing very well.
“This is Asha’s first calf and so far she has done a remarkable job. Asha has incredible maternal instincts and over the past two years has watched the other females in the herd raise their calves and learned from their behaviour”.
“This is a very special birth for the animal care team and a historic day for Dublin Zoo. Mum Asha was the first Asian elephant born in Dublin Zoo back in 2007 and today we are celebrating her first calf. A decade ago Dublin Zoo set out to be a centre of excellence in elephant care. We now have three generations of elephants at Dublin Zoo, matriarch Bernhardine, her daughter Asha and now this new arrival”.
“We are very proud of the expanding herd and recognise the significance of these births for the future of endangered Asian elephants”.
The adorable baby has not yet been named, so if you’re feeling creative, Dublin Zoo inviting the public to suggest a name for the newest arrival based on her Asian origin.
You can submit your name suggestions to www.DublinZoo.ie
You can also see the new elephant and his herd at the Kaziranga Forest Trail in Dublin Zoo, which is open 7 days a week. They also have a webcam set up so you can also keep an eye all the beautiful animals.
