11/14/2022
Oh what MAGIC the miracle twin baby elephants are!!! Born 10/24/22, they first were shared for the first time with the world, just a couple days ago, and I was able to take these photographs on 11/12/22. The staff was beaming sharing the birth story, hopefully I do the details justice! The team at the Rosamont Gifford Zoo didn't know there were 2...until there were, well, 2! They explained they use the same ultrasound wands that they would use on a human woman. When you're carrying an extra almost 500 lbs of babies, and have a proportionally tiny wand, it's fair to expect the sonogram photos are a little more challenging to sort out. This mama, Mali, at age 26 has had a few babies and is a pro, they expected the placenta out much sooner, and 10 hours after baby 1, they were expecting the placenta, and IT WAS ANOTHER BABY!!! They shared that they had joked about this in a staff group chat, never believing it would actually be true! I had no idea how rare this was, less than 1% of all elephant births have surviving twins. And these are the first 2 surviving twins in the United States! In Syracuse, NY!! How lucky are we to get to see them?!
All of a sudden I had a thought, what would they do if Mali needed a C-Section?! It turns out, the team at the zoo has not only experienced this before, they have the only surviving mama after C-Section. They explained C-Sections are not from the bottom of the belly like most animals, they are actually from the back. Recovery can be very difficult, since the elephant cannot lay down after a C-Section, which could just tear everything back open. This mama was a very calm and stayed standing because the staff slept underneath her in sleeping bags, and she thankfully didn't want to squish them. Can you imagine sleeping under an elephant and trusting it not to lay down on you?! That 46 year old mama, is still a family member at the zoo, and she is just as beautiful!
While we were there, there were 2 themes....."Mom, I'm Hungry..." and oh were nursing twin elephants a dream to experience. And also, from mom's point of view..."My kids are like freaking legos...." they were almost always right under foot and attached. I wonder if she is ready for a Mama break! Both babies were under 250 lbs at birth, baby 2 needed a bit more help and I am guessing that is the brother who is a little more mellow. Baby 1 I suspect is the one who is a little pip! He tried to escape while we were there....and I really, really wanted to help him. Mom, clearly let the humans handle that one...she didn't try "that" hard to keep him in ;)
Head to Syracuse to see them! 11:00-11:30 and 2:00-2:30 they are scheduled to be outside, weather permitting, or in the viewing window. I also learned they do grow slowly, and it can take years before they break 1000 lbs! After a few years, because they are boys, the ladies will push them away and they may be relocated. I personally vote for a bull pen, but we'll have to see in time how things develop! I so look forward to watching them grow over the years and getting to photograph them again! What a dream, I'm still beaming over the trotting little babies!
These photos were some of my favorites, especially because I knew I wanted to process a black and white set to print for my home. I may share some of the sweet shots in color with grandma in them as well. Two incredibly large mamas with teeny tiny babies under foot was just so sweet! I hope you enjoy them!
Congratulations to the Rosamont Gifford Zoo Team on an incredible job taking care of this amazing family and thank you for sharing all of your insights and joy with us, too! What a dream!
