A mother elephant in Ayutthaya, Thailand, gave birth to rare twin elephants last Friday (7th), an event that was both thrilling and nerve-wracking. After giving birth to a male calf, named Jamjuree, the mother elephant gave birth to a female calf less than 20 minutes later. Due to the rarity of mixed-gender twin births, the mother elephant initially mistook the female calf for an intruder and nearly trampled her.
When the female calf was born, Jamjuree, having never given birth to twins before, believed the calf was an intruder and began to attack. Fortunately, zoo staff intervened in time to stop the attack, saving the calf's life. During the incident, several caretakers were injured but managed to resolve the crisis safely.
A mother elephant gave birth to rare mixed-gender twins, with a monk touching one of the baby elephants. Associated Press
The twins weigh 80 kg (male) and 60 kg (female). Twin elephant births are extremely rare, accounting for only 1% of all births, with mixed-gender twins being even rarer. Zoo spokesperson Reddy explained that the mother's reaction was due to the pain and confusion of her first twin birth.
Currently, the twins are being fed with syringes because the female calf is too small to nurse directly, and the male calf shows no signs of nursing. The zoo stated that the mother elephant has now accepted her two calves, and according to Thai tradition, they will be named seven days after birth.
In Northern Ayutthaya, Thailand, a mother elephant stands with her mixed-gender twins born three days ago. Photo/Associated Press
The birth of these twins has brought joy and vitality to the zoo, attracting many visitors. The zoo will continue to provide professional care to ensure the healthy growth of the twins, who are expected to become new stars of the zoo.
