Kenya: Rare Elephant Twins Born
Rare elephant twins have been born in Kenya's Amboseli National Park. Twin births occur in elephants only 1% of the time.
The elephant twins were spotted by tourist guides during a safari.
In the coming days, it will become clear whether they can survive.
A rare event in the Samburu Reserve in northern Kenya: a female elephant has given birth to twins there. "Twins are rarely encountered in elephant populations and account for only about one percent of births, explained Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of the wildlife conservation organisation Save the Elephants. The two young elephants had reportedly first been spotted over the weekend by tourist guides during a safari.
Video footage shows the pair of siblings — one male and one female — exploring their surroundings together alongside their mother Bora and her older calf. African elephants have the longest gestation period of all living mammals at 22 months. Cows typically give birth only once every four years.
The coming days will be decisive for the young animals' survival
Twin births are not only rare but also frequently dangerous for the calves. The last pair of twins in Samburu was born in 2006, but both animals died within a few days. "Quite often, mothers do not have enough milk to nurse two calves", explained Douglas-Hamilton. "The next few days will be critical for the little twins, but we are keeping our fingers crossed for their survival.“
According to a wildlife census from last year, approximately 36’280 elephants live in Kenya. The population had been growing recently. Nevertheless, African elephants remain on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and are classified as "vulnerable". Poaching for ivory and the destruction of their habitat are among the greatest threats to these animals.
