Baby elephant expected this weekend at Planckendael

Mechelen animal park Planckendael could be welcoming the arrival of a new baby elephant as early as this weekend, the park’s management has announced. Females Phyo Phyo (shown here with baby Kai Mook in 2009) and her daughter May Tagu were both reported to be pregnant back in October, when May Tagu was reckoned to be first in line to give birth – in her case for the first time.

Both babies were expected in the spring. However, zoo staff have reported that Phyo Phyo could give birth (for the fifth time) as early as Saturday. The park posted a video on YouTube showing much activity taking place in the animal’s abdomen. Since Wednesday, keepers have been keeping watch through the night.

“We’re leaving nothing to chance,” a spokesperson said. “The night watch has started. There are signs of an approaching delivery, although that doesn’t mean a premature birth.”

The trouble keepers have faced is in determining when conception took place and how long gestation could take. An elephant pregnancy lasts anywhere between 18 and 22 months. To make matters more complicated, elephants only ovulate once every three months, and after a first mating between Phyo Phyo and newly arrived bull Chang, Phyo Phyo appeared to show no signs of pregnancy.

The earlier calculation seems to have been off by a few months. This weekend will tell whether Kai Mook, the most hyped new elephant baby of all time in Belgium, will become a big sister to a new arrival.

photo courtesy Frank Wouters/Wikimedia