A baby Asian elephant was born at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England, on June 8, weighing 110 kg and measuring 1 meter tall. The male calf was delivered after a 22-month pregnancy and was able to stand and take his first wobbly steps within 10 minutes of birth.

Conservation Efforts

The birth of the calf is an important addition to the European breeding program of Asian elephants, which are listed as an endangered species with fewer than 52,000 remaining in the wild. According to zookeepers, the calf’s mother, Donna, has been a protective and caring parent, and the zoo is celebrating the arrival of the new addition.

A video taken on June 10 shows the baby elephant playing with a red ball, kicking it around and occasionally tripping over it. The zoo has invited the public to help choose a name for the calf, which was born on the 200th anniversary year of the Zoological Society of London, the organization that runs Whipsnade Zoo.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.