How Did This Central New York Zoo Make History? A Special Twin Birth
It's one thing to hear about a birth taking place at a local zoo, which is generally very exciting news. It's ANOTHER when you hear about a birth taking place at a local zoo that makes history. That's exactly the case as we discovered the news about the Rosemond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, who debuted two new additions to the family.
The zoo knew their elephant, Mali, was pregnant and was awaiting the time for her to give birth. Little did they know that Mali was pregnant with twins.
To give some background, there has never been a recorded case of surviving elephant twins born in the United States, county officials said. Of the few twin pregnancies that happen, many calves are stillborn. Twins only account for 1% of elephant births worldwide, according to a news release from Onondaga County. That's what makes this birth so special and historical.
The first baby was born at 2 AM on October 24 with no complications. He weighed 220 pounds. Then, to the zookeepers surprise, a second baby was born that they (obviously) were not anticipating. He came 10 hours later, weighing at 237 pounds.
The team at the Zoo has been monitoring the calves since they were born since this kind of a birth is such a rare circumstance. The second calf was noticeably weaker at birth than the first twin but we're told the zoo’s animal care team and veterinary staff sprang into action and were able to significantly improve his condition according to zoo officials.
Will I Be Able To See The Baby Elephants?
Yes. Visitors will be able to see elephant twins at the Helga Beck Asian Elephant Preserve from 11-11:30 AM and 2–2:30 PM daily, according to county officials. Visitors can also see the elephants indoors at the Pachyderm Pavilion viewing.