Current:Home > FinanceRare elephant twins born in Kenya, spotted on camera: "Amazing odds!" -Wealth Momentum Network
Rare elephant twins born in Kenya, spotted on camera: "Amazing odds!"
View
Date:2025-04-18 12:14:47
An elephant in Kenya has given birth to a set of twins, a conservation group said on Friday, a rare event for the planet's largest land mammals. Save the Elephants said that the twins, both female, were born in the Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya to a mother named Alto, describing it as "double joy."
Twins make up only about one percent of elephant births, although another pair -- one male and one female -- were born in the same reserve in early 2022.
A video posted to social media by Save the Elephants, showed the baby elephants feeding from their mother, alongside other members of the herd with the caption: "Amazing odds!"
✨ Amazing odds! ✨ Almost two years after Bora from the Winds gave birth to twins for the first time in decades, Alto from the Clouds has astonished us with her own set of twins! Her two adorable female calves, estimated to be just days old, were first spotted by our researchers in Samburu National Reserve this week. 🐘 🐘Twins are rarely encountered in elephant populations - and form around only 1% of births. Bora’s twins (male and female) were born during one of the worst droughts but despite her excellent mothering skills, the female twin sadly died. Elephant twins rarely survive in the wild but we’re optimistic about Alto’s twins as there’s lots of food in the park following the rains so Alto should be able to produce plenty of milk to feed her hungry brood plus she also has the amazing support of her herd. 🧡With both the Winds and the Clouds families having produced twins, anticipation now turns to the Storms (no pressure!) to see if they can complete the trifecta, transforming it into a Triple Weather Bonanza! 😄Footage by Gilbert Sabinga/Save the Elephants #twins #twinbirths #elephanttwins #samburutwins #savetheelephants #itsamiracle #againstallodds #elephants #samburunationalreserve #northernkenya #nature
Posted by Save the Elephants on Thursday, November 23, 2023
African elephants have the largest gestation period of any living mammal, carrying their young for nearly 22 months, and give birth roughly every four years.
However, elephant twins do not often fare so well. About two years ago, an elephant named Bora gave birth to twins in the Samburu National Reserve.
"Bora's twins (male and female) were born during one of the worst droughts but despite her excellent mothering skills, the female twin sadly died," Save the Elephants said in a Facebook post.
Still, the conservation group says it remains optimistic about the prospects for Alto's babies.
"Elephant twins rarely survive in the wild but we're optimistic about Alto's twins as there's lots of food in the park following the rains so Alto should be able to produce plenty of milk to feed her hungry brood plus she also has the amazing support of her herd," the group wrote.
A previous pair of twins born in Samburu in 2006 failed to survive more than a few days.
The African savanna elephant is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which says poaching and habitat destruction had a devastating effect on elephant numbers in Africa as a whole.
According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, there are more than 36,000 elephants in the East African country, with efforts to stem poaching halting a decline in numbers.
The elephant population in Kenya stood at 170,000 in the 1970s and early 1980s but plunged to only 16,000 by the end of 1989 because of the demand for ivory, it said.
- In:
- Kenya
- Elephant
veryGood! (151)
Related
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Why Candace Cameron Bure Is Fiercely Protective of the Full House She's Built With Husband Valeri Bure
- Joseph Quinn on how A Quiet Place: Day One will give audiences a new experience
- Climate Activists Blockade Citigroup’s Doors with Model Pipeline and Protest Bank’s Ties to Israel
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Dali cargo ship leaves Baltimore for Virginia, nearly 3 months after bridge collapse
- U.S. Olympic track trials results: Sha'Carri Richardson wins women's 100 final to reach Paris
- Princess Anne Hospitalized With Concussion After Incident at Her Estate
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Princess Anne Hospitalized With Concussion After Incident at Her Estate
Ranking
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Prince William Dancing to Shake It Off at Taylor Swift Concert Is a Must-See Moment
- Full transcript of Face the Nation, June 23, 2024
- My Favorite SKIMS Drops This Month: Curve-Enhancing Leggings, Plunge Bras for Natural Cleavage & More
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- NHRA legend John Force taken to hospital after funny car engine explodes
- When does Noah Lyles run? Men's 100m race times at 2024 US Olympic track and field trials
- Not just a book: What is a Gutenberg Bible? And why is it relevant 500 years after its printing?
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
COVID summer wave grows, especially in West, with new variant LB.1 on the rise
Israel's Netanyahu appears at odds with White House and Israel's military over war with Hamas in Gaza
Sculpt, Support, and Save 70% on Spanx Leather Leggings, Tennis Skirts, Sports Bras, Shapewear & More
Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
US regulators chide four big-bank 'living wills,' FDIC escalates Citi concerns
Husband of bride killed in alleged DUI crash on wedding night to receive nearly $1M in settlement
Colorado authorities search for suspect in shooting that left 1 dead, 2 critically injured