Dublin Zoo’s New Arrival is Adorable!

Baby Elephant! Baby Elephant!

Tuesday morning and we’re meant to be over the Monday brain fog but Dublin Zoo have released photos of their newest arrival – a baby elephant! Take the morning off to fall in love with the dote! It’s a boy and was born last Thursday at 7:22am to mother Yasmin. According to the Dublin Zoo Facebook this aborable little calf – table quiz answer to the correct name for a baby elephant – is 1.2 metres tall and weighs about 80 kilograms.

Paul O’Donoghue, assistant director at Dublin Zoo said,??We are absolutely thrilled with the new arrival. The calf was born within three minutes and after eight minutes he was up and taking his first steps, watched closely by his mum Yasmin and the rest of the females in the herd.? Paul added, stressing the importance of the birth, ?This male is a significant birth because he will play an important role in the conservation of Asian elephants.? With only 30,000 to 60,000 of these elephants existing in the wild this is a major cause for celebration.

And that’s not all the good news Dublin Zoo are celebrating – the Natural Confectionery Co. have come on board as the sponsors of the Zoo’s Asian elephant habitat, the Kaziranga Forest Trail. This partnership will help with the upkeep of the Kaziranga Forest Trail and contribute to much-needed conservation programmes in the wild.

And what will the little cutie be named? Well, that’s up to the public! The Natural Confectionery Co. are running a competition over on their Facebook page. The name needs to be Indian in origin to fit with the elephant’s heritage.

Guiltfree sweets?and baby elephants? If you haven’t made weekend plans to visit Dublin Zoo then you need to, like right now. Dublin Zoo is open seven days a week from 9.30am to 6pm. See dublinzoo.ie for more information.

Jeanne Sutton @jeannedesutun