Two extremely rare elephant twins have been born in a game reserve in southeastern South Africa.
The unnamed children were discovered in the Pongola Game Reserve in North Kwa-Zulu Natal this week in the care of their mother and the rest of the herd.
Less than one percent of elephants are born twins, and the last reported number was born in 2006 with a cow in Kruger National Park.
The twins were born to Curve, a 31-year-old cow, and the father is believed to be Ingani, a 44-year-old male elephant who d.i.ed just over a year ago.
Although the twins’ father is no longer pictured, Curve still gets a lot of help from the rest of the herd in taking care of her babies.
Pongola Game Reserve management has yet to determine the sex of the twins, as they are giving Curve space to care for and feed her babies to ensure they have the best start.
‘Mortality of one of the twins usually occurs as the increasing demand for milk by two calves cannot be met by the mother and the less dominant of the two calves usually cannot gain access to its share, so this is the best start,’ Elephant specialist, Dr. Ian Whyte, formerly of the National Parks Board at Kruger National Park said.
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