An elephant baby was born in our Zoo on Thursday, February 14 before 06.00 AM. The last such joyous event in Budapest took place in 1961. The baby and mother, the twelve-year-old Angele of La Palmyre Zoo, are well, although it is uncertain whether the nurturing of the baby elephant will go without problems. The keepers are monitoring if the baby is feeding well and if the mother is looking after her young properly. This is Angele’s first offspring, and she cannot be considered experienced in caring for her baby. The estimated height of the baby is one meter and weighs approximately 85 kilograms. Father of the baby, the thirteen-year-old Assam of Chester Zoo, for a time being has to stay out of spotlight.

Baby elephantTo ensure that nothing disturbs the peace and quite of the animals, we closed off the Elephant House from the outside world almost hermetically. Hence, the public may not view yet the animals living here, and even among the staff of the Zoo, only keepers and veterinarians specifically assigned to care for the elephants may enter the restricted area.

If the baby is feeding with reassuring frequency and the mother’s behavior remains normal, the public will be allowed to visit the Elephant House. Depending on the development of the elephant baby, competent staff of the Zoo will determine when the elephants will be displayed again.

Source: Zoo Budapest