Elephant twins born in Addo
21 January 2005
A set of elephant twins has been born in the Addo Elephant Park in the Eastern Cape - the third time in the park's history that this rare event has occurred.
Staff at the park are watching the month-old twins carefully, as one twin in each of the previous sets died at two months.
Social ecologist at the park, Megan Bradfield, told the Cape Times: "Elephant mothers don't really have enough milk for two babies, so usually the stronger twin manages to get more milk than the weaker one, and gradually the weaker one loses condition."
Bradfield said that the second month was critical.
Recent good rains in the area have meant good food for the twin's mother, Dina. Staff in the park are optimistic about the twin's chances.
Bradfield said a set of elephant twins in the Kruger National Park were now three years old.
The twins have been named Dawn and Dusk, and are part of a family group in which all the names begin with a D. The
twins are part of one of the most comprehensivley studied elephant families in the world.
Addo is home to over 400 elephants. The original elephant section of the park was commissioned in 1931. The park has an area of 148 000ha, although plans are in place to more than double this in the creation of the "Greater Addo" park.
The park claims, uniquely, to be home to the "Big Seven". Here, elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo, leopard, whales and great white sharks can all be seen in their natural habitat.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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