There's more good news from Dublin Zoo with the announcement of the arrival of another Asian elephant calf - the third in the last ten weeks..
The healthy female calf was born to mother Bernhardine at 11.45pm on September 17 and weighing in at 68kg.
This is the third elephant calf to be born at Dublin Zoo within a ten-week period. The first calf, Kavi, was born to mother Yasmin on July 17, followed closely by Ashoka, named after one of India’s greatest emperors, born to mother Anak on August 19.
Paul O’Donoghue, assistant director at Dublin Zoo said: “Our latest arrival is a wonderful addition to our breeding herd of Asian elephants.
"It was a very quick and calm birth and Bernhardine’s daughter Asha (7 years old) stayed with her throughout. The calf was standing within ten minutes and has been suckling really well.
“Bernhardine is the oldest female and the herd’s matriarch. She is an experienced mother and this is her fourth calf”.
“It is just incredible for us to be announcing the birth of three Asian elephants in the space of ten weeks. It is an extraordinary achievement for the animal care team here at Dublin Zoo who are very proud of the expanding herd and of the significance of these births for the future of endangered Asian elephants”.
Dublin Zoo also announced some of the events planned for October 2014, which has been dubbed the Month of the Elephant, with a series of family fun days, events, workshops and keeper talks at the Zoo and in schools and libraries all around the capital.
What’s more, Dublin Zoo will be taking the celebration to the streets of the capital and inviting the public to join the Elephant Trail around Dublin city centre on Saturday Oct 18 and Sunday 19.
A full list of all the events planned to celebrate the Month of the Elephant visit will be available at www.Dublinzoo.ie/elephants.
