Rare Twin Elephants Born For The First Time In 15 Years In Kenya
Rare elephant births do not happen every day, and in Kenya, one recent arrival has people paying close attention. A set of twin calves was born at the Samburu National Reserve, a moment that stands out even in a country known for its wildlife.
The twins belong to Bora, a mother in the Winds II family, and their birth is especially notable because elephant twins are extremely uncommon. With the calves still in their vulnerable early days, the reserve is watching closely to see whether both can make it through.
It is the first time in 15 years that twin elephants have been born in Kenya, and the story is still unfolding. Read on.
The herd at the Kenyan Samburu National Reserve welcomed a rare event
The large elephant family of the Kenyan Samburu National Reserve just got bigger! The herd recently welcomed a set of twin elephant calves, which is only the second set of twin elephants born at the Save the Elephants sanctuary.
Guides from the Elephant Watch Camp made the remarkable discovery and spotted the two adorable calves, a male and a female, when they were less than a day old. Soon after, the news was made public.
Twins are very rare in the elephant world
“Twins are rarely encountered in elephant populations — and account for only around 1% of births,” Iain Douglas-Hamilton, founder of Save the Elephants, said. “Usually, the mothers don’t have enough milk to support two calves.
In fact, the birth of twins has only ever been recorded once before in Samburu in 2006, but sadly both calves died shortly after. So, the next few days will be touch and go for the new twins, but we all have our fingers crossed for their survival.”
This is the mom's second birth
This is the second birth for Bora, the mother of the twins, who is part of the Winds II family, one of the largest elephant families in the reserve. She had her first baby back in 2017.
Check out the twins here:
That made the moment even more special for the reserve.
After 22 years apart, Shirley and Jenny’s reunion is the same kind of instant recognition, just like the Samburu calves.
Save the Elephants was founded solely for the good of these majestic creatures
Save the Elephants was founded by Douglas-Hamilton in 1993 to “secure a future for elephants and sustain the beauty and ecological integrity of the places they live… and to develop a tolerant relationship between the two species.”
The elephant population in Kenya keeps growing every year
Previously, the elephants in Kenya experienced a decline in their population, but over the last three decades, rehabilitation efforts have been successful, and the elephant population in the country has more than doubled. It is estimated that there are now over 36,000 elephants there.
In 2021, another set of elephant twins was also born in Sri Lanka. For them, it was the first time in 80 years since such a thing occurred.
Even so, twin births like this still turn heads.
Nature truly is an amazing phenomenon and is always full of beautiful surprises. Hopefully, the two elephant calves will make it to the other side of their vulnerable stage.
They deserve to experience and live the beautiful life they were born into. Here's to hoping for the best for the two of them and their big, beautiful family as well.
Want another “family moment”? Watch this elephant give birth, and bond with her newborn.
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