A baby elephant’s first steps

February 14, 2017 • 2:30 pm

I don’t know much about these videos except that they’re of African elephants (probably the bush elephant, Loxodontia africana). This one shows a baby elephant’s first halting steps, accompanied by loud complaining. Notice how both adults try to help it up.

. . . and a 10-minute video of an elephant giving birth and the baby’s arrival. Notice how, still covered with the birth membrane, it’s immediately surrounded by adults, no doubt to protect it from predators. They try to help it up, and constantly examine it with their trunks. And, lo and behold, it’s alive and it gets up!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

10 thoughts on “A baby elephant’s first steps”

  1. I would not want to be the one to pick on that kid! Can you imagine what would be the response from the adults if some animal were to try to harm the baby? Hugs

    1. THe response would be unhealthy. Not that that stops the predators from trying. What is elephantine infant mortality? 50% in the first year, or 75% ?

        1. (Tries to construct an expression in terms of offspring per couple, infant mortality, and phase of moon that expresses that each male-female pair on average needs to produce 2 male + 2 female gametes that combine to make 2 offspring ; aeraged over the population)
          (Tries again to express situation in terms of cans of beer and baby shots of spirit. Entertaining, but no easier. )

        1. OK : third approach : Micawber. Izzat the right character? (Tried Dickens twice – turgid slow and uninteresting.)

  3. The second video is from The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. It is a wonderful organization that runs an elephant nursery that cares for orphaned elephants and rhinos in Nairobi Kenya and reintroduces them in the wild in Tsavo national park. Here is the link to the video on DSWT’s YouTube channel. Their description of the video is given below

    Rare day time footage of an elephant preparing to take its first steps. Christian and Ginette Leroy were in the right place at the right time when they captured this amazing event while in Chobi National Park, Botswana. We thank them for sharing it with us and allowing the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to post it online for everyone to enjoy this celebration of life.

  4. O my ! What a darling with her own private parade of doulas !

    I love all manner of birthing pix like these ! Such photographers / videographers must just have … … The Life !

    Blue

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