Baby Elephant Going for a Swim with his Mom for the First Time
Melbourne Zoo celebrated the birth of a Chinese elephant cub on 17 January, after 22 months of his mom Num-Oi’s pregnancy and 4 days of labour. The 290-pound youngster seemed confident on his feet within 7 days after being born, so the zoo keepers felt it was safe to refill the water pool in the enclosure. The mother and her first-born must’ve really appreciated that, given that the temperature goes up to 95 Farenheit degrees these days in Melbourne.
The baby elephant doesn’t have a name yet, but his attraction to digging mud has suggested a nickname “Dougie” for the time being. According to the zoo keeepers, Num-Oi has proved to have strong maternal instincts, and is looking closely after her calf. Dougie will be considered a teenager once he’s no longer dependent on his mother’s milk, which could range from 5 to 10 years. At the age of 17, he will be considered a fully grown and mature elephant. In the mean time, looks like he will offer some great shots for the visitors!
Website: zoo.org.au (via)
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