BEDFORDSHIRE – A zoo has expressed delight after an “exceptional mother” gave birth to an endangered Asian elephant. Late on Monday, the patter of not so tiny feet was heard at Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire, as Donna delivered the 1m (3.3ft) tall, 110kg (243lb) male calf.  The birth, which followed a 22-month gestation, was captured on CCTV.  Stefan Groeneveld, a manager at the zoo, said: “With Asian elephants facing so many challenges in the wild, this calf represents real hope for the future of the species.”  The zoo said the calf was “a vital addition to the European breeding programme for the endangered species – which in the wild are threatened by habitat fragmentation, human and wildlife conflict and climate change”. They are also considered by conservationists to be one of the most persecuted species in the world, the zoo added. Groeneveld said: “The excitement we’re feeling at the arrival of this calf is almost impossible to put into words. “It’s an amazing success for Donna, and mum and calf are both doing brilliantly, which is exactly what we hoped for. “Donna has been an exceptional mother from the moment her calf arrived, she’s clearly learnt from her experience raising his sister, Nang Phaya, and she’ll be setting a really important example for when Phaya eventually has her own calf.” The zoo is running a prize draw to help pick the name for the calf from a selected shortlist, which was created by its conservation team in Thailand.
The name would be linked “to hope, the future and legacy” and the zoo would ensure his name “is as special as he is”, it added.