Life of a Newborn Elephant

Elephant calves have the ability to stand pretty much right after birth. This allows them to start nursing to get strength, and move with the herd if need be.

Birth

An elephants is pregnant for 22 month and gives birth to a baby that weighs right around 260 pounds, and stands about 3 feet tall. Giving birth is a family affair. All the females attend to the mother and newborn. They help the baby stand and get him started nursing. And they are ready to defend mother and child in this vulnerable time.

Baby has Hair!

While adult elephants have varying amounts of hair  - babies are born with a layer of thick hair called “Lanugo”.  This goes for both African and Asian newborn calves. Most of the hair falls off as the calf grows. The hair is not there to provide warmth but to allow for extra sensation & helps them determine how close an object is.

Learning to use the Trunk

Baby elephants are not born knowing how to use their trunks. It takes about a half year before they know how to eat and drink with it. When they are a year old they can also use the trunk to grasp things and use it for bathing.

Family

While elephant calves are some of the largest animal babies born they are totally dependent on their mothers. Elephant babies are raised by the whole herd. The mother, aunts, sisters and other elephants in the family guide them, protect them and teach them the necessary skills to make it in the wild.