Rare elephant twins are born in a South African reserve

Recently, two extraordinary elephant twins were born at the Pongola Reserve in North Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. The herd, including their mother, is keeping a close eye on the unnamed baby elephants found this week.

Less than 1% of elephant pregnancies result in twins, making twin elephants very unusual. A cow in the Kruger National Park gave birth to twins in 2006, the latest set of twins observed in the region.

Ingani, a 44-year-old bull elephant who died a year ago, is believed to be the father of the twins, who were given to a 31-year-old cow, Curve. Even without a father, Curve’s cubs get a lot of support from the rest of the herd.

The sexes of the twins have yet to be determined, though reserve officials have given Curve the space she needs to care for and nurture her young. As a result of the increased need for milk, the mortality rate of one of the twins can be significant; Therefore, doing this helps ensure that they have the best start in life.

Workers at Pongola Reserve try to leave the twins and the curve alone as much as possible, but the management team is careful to give them enough space to interact peacefully. The sweet baby elephant twins have won many hearts and are sure to be a favorite sight of reserve visitors.