Asian elephant at Planckendael Zoo expecting “very special” calf

For the first time in nine years, an Asian elephant is pregnant at Planckendael Zoo, the animal park in Antwerp province has announced.

The zoo is already celebrating May Tagu’s future arrival as Asian elephants are a species that are under pressure in nature.

It also confirmed the surprise news that the calf’s father was bull elephant Kanvar. Although he had been spending time in the friend zone with the women’s herd, he was thought to be unable to impregnate a female.

“But now it turns out that he has found a friend with benefits in May Tagu,” joked coordinator Ben Van Dyck.

On a more serious note, the zoo near Mechelen explained that the Asian elephant was having a hard time, both in nature and in captivity. In addition to habitat loss, elephant herpes virus is the leading cause of death in young elephants.

Planckendael Zoo has been at the forefront of the fight against this virus for years. The park invests in scientific research and actively collaborates with Utrecht University on the development of a vaccine. Thanks to intensive research and thorough monitoring, young elephants can now be better monitored and protected.

"A birth is always special, but with elephants it is also exciting and hopeful. Thanks to research and international cooperation, we are now much stronger than before to give young animals a good start," said Van Dyck.

May Tagu's pregnancy was confirmed via hormonal analyses of faecal samples at Chester Zoo in the UK, which specialises in fertility.

But patience is a key word in the elephant conservation programme. Not only are females fertile for just a few days every three or four months, the gestation period is around 650 days. “So if all goes well, there will be loud trumpeting in the elephant temple next summer,” the zoo says of the calf expected in 2027.

Photo: Kanvar and May Tagu at Planckendael Zoo ©Jonas Verhulst