In the heart of Kent, Howletts Wild Animal Park has welcomed a heartwarming addition to its family. The park, located near Canterbury, proudly announces the birth of its first African elephant calf of 2019.
This delightful newborn, born to 11-year-old Uzuri after a three-hour labor, has already captured the hearts of staff and visitors.
“He’s quickly finding his place within the herd, and the excitement among our team and the elephants is palpable,” said the park’s animal director.
Howletts Wild Animal Park, renowned for its successful breeding program, has celebrated 24 African elephant births since its establishment in 1975. This newborn marks a significant milestone as the first African elephant calf born in the UK this year.
Uzuri, whose name means “beauty” in Swahili, was born at Howletts in 2008 and is the third calf of her mother, Tammi, who came to the park from Tel Aviv in 1988.
The birth of this calf is particularly noteworthy given that only 12 calves have been born across the 53 major zoos in the UK since 1975.
Adrian Harland noted, “Both mother and baby are thriving, with plenty of care and attention from the entire herd, especially Uzuri’s mother, Tammi. The little one has already begun exploring the elephant yards, and visitors might see him outside.”
The Howletts herd now consists of 13 members and resides in a spacious 8.4-acre enclosure, one of the largest in the UK, in the picturesque Kentish countryside. The young calf will form a close bond with his mother, Uzuri.
African elephants have a gestation period of about 22 months, and calves stay close to their mothers, drinking around three gallons of milk daily for up to two years.
Just like human children who find comfort in thumb-sucking, elephant calves often soothe themselves by sucking on their trunks.
