Photo credits: San Diego Zoo Safari Park

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park had an African Elephant born yesterday in the dark early morning hours. The calf was born on exhibit in the presence of the other elephant moms and calves well before animal care staff arrived at 6 a.m.  Guests at the Safari Park on Monday could see the newborn in  an upper yard of the Elephant exhibit, where staff is keeping the calf, his mother and 3-year-old brother for overnight observation. Animal care staff expects that she and her two calves will return to the main exhibit Tuesday.

Just hours after being born, the unnamed calf could be seen walking,
stumbling, exploring a puddle of water, nursing and lying down for a
nap. This calf hasn’t been weighed, but a newborn calf averages
between 250 and 300 pounds. This is the fourth male African elephant
calf born at the Park in 2010, which is the most elephant births that
have taken place at the Park in one year.

African elephants have a gestation period of 22 months. The first day
that animal care staff expected the calf to be born was December 26,
2010. A 24-hour birth watch was scheduled to begin on January 3, 2011.
Instead, staff will start 24-hour observations of the mother and calf
tonight and continue them for the next five weeks.