Chester Zoo welcomes second baby elephant in 12 months

Chester Zoo has welcomed its second elephant calf in 12 months.

Asian Elephant Thi gave birth to the female calf just before midnight last Saturday (22nd).

Thi, 28, is mum to Sithami, 13, who had her own calf, Nayan, in July.

Proud dad of both calves is Upali, 16.

Tim Rowlands, Curator of Mammals at Chester Zoo expressed the zoo's delight at the news.

Tim said: “The arrival of an elephant calf is always a cause for celebration but two healthy calves in six months is fantastic.

"The new arrival and mum are doing very well and I am sure our visitors will share in our good news.”

A spokeswoman for the zoo added that the calf had already proved a big hit with visitors.

She said: “Both mum and baby are doing very well.

“It was a good birth with no intervention.

"The elephant house is designed in a way that aids natural birth in that the mum gives birth on to a sand flooring, which enables the calf to get up quickly on to its feet.

“The new calf is proving a proper crowd pleaser."

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