It's alive! Baby elephant miracle

BY DEBORAH SMITH

A baby elephant thought to have died in its mother's womb was "miraculously" born alive at Sydney's Taronga Zoo this morning.

The newborn has been receiving intensive care from keepers and veterinarians in the zoo's heated elephant barn since his surprise arrival at Taronga Zoo at 3.27am today.

Although he is still in the first critical 24 hours of his life, he has shown encouraging signs of doing well, including taking his first steps, attempting to suckle from his mother, Porntip, and touching trunks with the other elephants.

The zoo's director, Cameron Kerr, said his birth was set to rewrite the textbooks.

"Advice from world elephant reproduction expert, Dr Thomas Hildebrandt of the Berlin Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Health, is that such an outcome after a protracted labour has never been seen before," Mr Kerr said.

On Monday, zoo staff said they believed the calf had died after a week of difficult labour in which it had presented in an "upside down" position never seen before by vets.

Its front legs were coming first and its head was hanging down, trapped behind the pelvis.

"Should the calf be born alive, it would be a miracle," Dr Hildebrandt said at the time.

Elephant manager Gary Miller said the keepers had been amazed to learn the calf was alive.

"The looks of disbelief on our faces were quite a picture. We couldn't believe that this could be true," he said.

The zoo's senior vet, Larry Vogelnest said the calf had already had some contact with the other elephants in the herd, touching trunks with the older females and also the zoo's first calf, Luk Chai, an eight-month-old male.

"The others are very excited and curious, reaching out to him with their trunks whenever he gets close," he said.

"Porntip is already showing signs of being an excellent mother, trying to help him suckle although he hasn't quite managed to suckle yet. She's in good health and has been getting to know her calf, gently touching the young animal with her trunk.”

The calf began taking its first steps mid-morning and, between sleeps, has moved around the birthing pen in the Elephant Barn.

“We've been able to give him several litres of colostrum, the important first milk for newborns," Dr Vogelnest said.

The newborn is thought to weigh between 90 and 100 kilograms, and appears to be stockier than Luk Chai, but not as tall.

Dr Vogelnest said it appeared the calf had survived the protracted labour in a coma.

"That unconscious state would explain the complete absence of any vital signs during all the checks and examinations we conducted during the labour and led us to believe the calf had not survived."

- © Fairfax NZ News