Dublin Zoo is welcoming its latest arrival - a new Asian elephant. The calf, who is to be named through a competition open to the public, was born to mother Yasmin on Thursday morning after a 22 month pregnancy.
The healthy bull is an estimated 1.2 metres tall and weighs some 80 kilogrammes - equivalent to the weight of an adult human.
The new arrival will join the rest of the herd – Bernhardine, Anak, Asha, mum Yasmin and dad Upali - in the Kaziranga Forest Trail at the Zoo.
The healthy bull is 1.2 metres tall
The newborn is Yasmin's third calf and a is being hailed as a significant success for Dublin Zoo as part of the international breeding programme established to assist the survival of the Asian elephant.
It is estimated that only 30,000 to 60,000 of these animals exist in the wild, with the largest population found in India.
The competition to name the new arrival is to be run on the Facebook page of The Natural Confectionery Company, which sponsors the Kaziranga Forest Trail at Dublin Zoo.
He takes shelter under his mother
Director at Dublin Zoo, Leo Oosterweghel, spoke to The Pat Kenny Show here on Newstalk about the exciting new arrival:
Operations manager Gerry Creighton says they got to witness everything that happened in the herd:
