Latest news with #AfricanForestElephant
NHK
5 days ago
- Health
- NHK
African forest elephant gives birth at Japanese zoo
An African forest elephant has given birth at a zoo in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This is the first time an elephant of this endangered species has been born in Japan. Officials at Asa Zoological Park say the elephant, called May, gave birth to a baby shortly before 5 a.m. on Tuesday. The officials say the calf was smaller than expected, measuring about 75 centimeters at the highest point on its back. They add its gender is not yet known. The baby elephant was seen walking and trying to suckle. But it could not reach its mother's breast, so zookeepers have piled up straw on the floor to help it. The mother was also seen caring for the baby, touching it with her trunk. African forest elephants inhabit forest areas in Africa and have oval-shaped ears. There are only two in Japan -- May, a female, and Dai, a male. Both live in Asa Zoo. The zoo has been working to breed the pair. Last summer, it confirmed May's pregnancy, the first of this species in Japan. A woman in her 60s from Hiroshima said she is very happy about the birth and looks forward to seeing May and her baby playing together. Zoo director Abe Katsuhiko said he is relieved that the mother and baby are in good health. He added the zoo will closely monitor the baby's growth and ensure it does not get injured. The zoo says it will decide when visitors will be allowed to see the elephants by taking into account factors such as their health condition.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Ghost' Elephant Spotted for First Time in 5 Years
An African forest elephant — nicknamed the "ghost elephant" due to its incredibly infrequent sightings — was spotted in Senegal for the first time in five years earlier this June. Remote camera footage from Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal shows a lone elephant walking across frame — stopping to seemingly take a quick peek at the camera before moving on. The elephant, named Ousmane after a local park ranger, was last seen in January 2020. At the time, it was expected that this elephant was one of only five to 10 African forest elephants left in the 3,500 square mile park. Panthera, a conservation organization that owns the remote camera that caught Ousmane, released a statement following the finding. "This male is the only individual that's been photographed in the park since 2020," the statement reads, "And DNA analysis, collected through dung samples, confirms he's potentially the only individual left." View the to see embedded media. The elephant population in Senegal has been decimated over past decades due to poaching and continuous habitat loss. Niokolo-Koba National Park plays an integral role in maintaining the health of the elephant population as well as several other species. Niokolo-Koba is also home to the critically endangered West African lion as well as the largest population of leopards left in West Africa, according to Panthera. While Ousmane may be the only African forest elephant left in Senegal, preservation efforts may lead to the transport of others in the species — particularly female elephants — to help somewhat repopulate Niokolo-Koba National Park. 'Ghost' Elephant Spotted for First Time in 5 Years first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 19, 2025
