Elephants born in Ayutthaya may be first-ever male and female twins
A 36-year-old elephant named “Pang Jamjuree” on Friday night gave birth to male and female calves in Ayutthaya province in what is believed to be the world’s first twin elephants of different sexes.
An official at Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Ayutthaya’s Suan Prik subdistrict said on Saturday that the male calf came out first on Friday night, weighing around 80 kilograms.
The mother delivered another calf, a female weighing 60kg, 18 minutes later, to the surprise of surrounding veterinarians and caretakers.
A caretaker was slightly injured when he tried to catch the second calf. He was later sent to a hospital for a check-up and X-ray as a precaution, the official said.
In November last year, the world was amazed by the birth of twin elephants in Kenya, although both the babies were female. ABC News said twins account for around only 1% of elephant births.
Laithongrian Meephan, owner of the establishment and president of Phra Kochaban Foundation for elephant care, said on Saturday that the kraal had witnessed some twin births in the past, but the calves were either both males or females.
The twins born on Friday would be the kraal’s 94th and 95th births in 27 years of operation, he said.
Their father is a 29-year-old elephant named Plai Siam, who has been a star in several cultural shows in the province, he said, adding that this is Pang Jamjuree’s fourth pregnancy.
“Twin birthing is one of the miracles in this auspicious year, when His Majesty the King will celebrate his 72nd birthday on July 28,” said Laithongrian. “We are praying that both babies are healthy and grow up fast.”
