by Elephant Twins In The Orphanage, A Rare Case
Sri Lanka’s main elephant orphanage has recorded a rare twin birth of elephant twins. Their mother, a 25-year-old named Surangi, gave birth to healthy male calves.
They are the first elephant twins born in captivity in Sri Lanka since 1941. She said Surangi gave birth to a male calf in 2009, and this is her second birth. The father, 17-year-old Pandu, is also one of 81 residents of the orphanage, which was established in 1975 to care for destitute wild elephants.The facility, an important tourist attraction.
Renuka Bandaranaike, head of Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, said: “Both the calves and mother are fine. The babies are relatively small, but they’re healthy.”
She said Surangi gave birth to a male calf in 2009, and this is her second birth.
They can have about four to five babies in their lifetime, and some species of elephants can be pregnant for a whopping 22 months. The Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage was set up in 1975 to save injured elephants and abandoned calves who were unable to survive in the wild. The orphanage now houses more than 90 elephants, and the twins will be added to the list.
Elephant twins account for less than one percent of births in the wild.With the last known case recorded in 2006. Baby elephants weigh between 90kg and 120kg at birth, with male ones heavier. Mothers cluster around their young ones defensively after birth to protect them. The last set of twins born 15 years ago had not survived long after birth, the mothers do not have enough milk to feed both calves.
