The Berlin Zoo is celebrating the safe
arrival of their newest baby Asian Elephant, a healthy female. She
was born just after midnight on August 12, standing 3.28 feet tall (one meter) and weighing 353 pounds (160 kg), after
a 654 day gestation – that's nearly two years! Last week she made her public debut to the delight of the many zoo guests who came to see her.

Asian Elephants are endangered, the major threat being loss of habitat, poaching for their ivory tusks and conflict with human encroachment.

Photo Credit: Zoo Berlin

This is the fourth baby for mother, Pang Pha. Since Mom was a gift to the the zoo from the Royal Thai Government, zoo staff has named her new calf Anchali, which means 'greeting' in Thai. Victor, Anchali’s father, is 18 years old. Like most male Elephants, he has little contact with his offspring. Anchali has been successfully nursing on her own, though it makes her sleepy… In the video below you can catch her napping peacefully afterwards at her mother's feet.