Elephant calf trifecta for Melbourne Zoo
Melbourne Zoo is celebrating the safe arrival of a third healthy Asian Elephant calf in as many months.
The newest calf - a female - was born at 11.25pm on January 1 to mum, Num Oi. It joins siblings Aiyara (female) and Roi-Yim (male), who were born in November and share the same father.
Melbourne Zoo Trail of the Elephants Life Sciences Manager Erin Gardiner said both mum and bub are doing well.
“We are over the moon to have another healthy female calf join the herd,” Ms Gardiner said. “Num Oi is an experienced mother and is being well supported by the other female Asian elephants in the herd, who are all keeping a watchful eye on the young one.
“Her calf is staying very close by and is suckling well, which is exactly what we hope to see in these early days.”
The newborn will be named in coming weeks through a competition for the public conducted via Zoos Victoria's social media channels.
All of the three calves born at Melbourne Zoo since November were conceived naturally to sire Luk Chai, who arrived from Taronga Western Plains Zoo in December 2020.
“We began planning these births years ago, so to see natural biology play out at its best has been a real privilege,” Ms Gardiner said.
All of the calves are being raised by the entire herd, naturally creating herd cohesion and providing social development. The calves will spend a short time behind the scenes while the herd adjusts, before venturing on view to visitors.
“We’re grateful for the patience of our Zoo members and visitors,” Ms Gardiner said. “The three calves will stay quite small for a while, so there’s plenty of time to see them as they develop.”
Zoos Victoria is part of a regional breeding program for Asian Elephants, which are classified as Endangered in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Zoos Victoria also maintains an international partnership with Fauna & Flora International, which is undertaking fieldwork in Vietnam to establish wild elephant numbers and better understand the threats Asian Elephants face in the region.
As previously announced, the entire Asian Elephant herd – including the calves - will move from Melbourne Zoo to Werribee Open Range Zoo in 2024, following completion of an $88million expansion funded by the Victorian Government.