At the Planckendael Zoo in Belgium, a newborn elephant calf made its debut on Christmas Day, weighing an estimated 200 to 320 pounds.
The entire elephant family came together to support the calf’s mother, May Tagu, during the delivery.
In footage captured by the zoo, May was seen gently nudging the amniotic sac, a key step in the birthing process. After spending a day in labor, the sac finally dropped, releasing the calf amidst a rush of fluid.
When the calf was born, May’s family members hurried to protect both mother and baby, forming a protective circle around them in the stall.
The zoo’s caretakers noted the elephants’ instinctive behavior as they covered damp spots with dirt and grass to prevent predators from being attracted by the scent.
One of the zoo’s caretakers, Ben Van Dyck, explained how they knew the birth was imminent. “We could tell by the changes in May’s stool that the birth was near, so we set up a night watch team,” he said.
Within 20 to 25 minutes of the birth, the calf was already standing and taking its first steps, always flanked by two protective adult elephants.
Van Dyck described the experience as “fantastic” and called it the best Christmas gift the zoo could have received.
In a touching moment, the adult elephants welcomed the baby by gently tapping its trunk with theirs.
Unlike many newborns, baby elephants show remarkable independence from the start, quickly attempting to stand and seek shelter under the protection of an adult.
Elephant pregnancies are the longest in the animal kingdom, lasting up to 23 months or approximately 95 weeks.
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