In what carers have described as a wonder, an Asiatic elephant in Thailand has given birth to a select group of twins.
Twin rhinoceros births are unusual, and adult- female twins are also rarer. The Ayutthaya Elephant Palace &, Royal Kraal, where the children live, announced it was the first for delivery in the state. This was only the second time in the world of male-female mini elephants, according to a declaration from the Thai government.
These sisters are the fourth and fifth child of the 30-year-old family elephant.
Chamchuri, their mother, gave birth to the twins on the night of June 7 at a camp in Ayutthaya, Thailand’s ancient capital and a popular tourist destination 80 kilometers ( 50 miles ) north of Bangkok.
Buddhist priests in Thailand blessed twin child elephants, a man and a woman, a year after their unique beginning almost ended in tragedy.
The camp’s caregivers had planned to deliver just one child, but they were shocked when a second leg arrived 18 minutes later. The startled family had to quickly intervene to stop the elephant caregivers from unintentionally harming her new child.
One of the animals, Charin Somwang, broke his leg as he crossed the mother’s path to avoid the risk. He explained to Thailand’s Daily News paper that it is common for an elephant to carefully poke and touch a kid to test its vitality. Yet, the next girl, the woman, seemed very weak to endure this treatment.
Elephants have been formally recognized as a national icon in Thailand for their important cultural significance. Generally, Thai kings rode animals into war, and a white rhinoceros, revered as a sacred image of royal authority, adorned the Thai symbol until 1917.
( With inputs from agencies )
