A rare Asian elephant has been born at Chester Zoo, the second new arrival for the family herd in a month.
The male calf arrived to 20-year-old mum Sithami Hi Way overnight after a 22 month gestation and a 20 minute labour.
He has been welcomed by the rest of Chester’s elephant herd, including one-month-old baby Indali Hi Way and one-year-old half-sister Nandita Hi way.
Asian elephants are highly threatened in the wild and Chester Zoo conservationists are working in India to protect the species from human-wildlife conflict. The new calf is an invaluable addition to the breeding programme for the endangered species.
