An elephant named Chamchuree gave birth to a pair of male and female twins at the Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Thailand. This birth of twin elephants of different sexes is believed to be the first of its kind in the world.
Chamchuree, 36 years old, gave birth on the night of June 7 at the Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district. The birth is a rare event for elephants and was greeted with joy by animal lovers and the local community.
Chamchuree first gave birth to an 80-kilogram male calf, and 18 minutes later she delivered a 60-kilogram female calf.
The birth surprised and delighted the elephant keepers. This twin birth is Chamchuree's fourth pregnancy and marks the 94th and 95th births at the kraal in its 27 years of operation. The father of the twins is a 29-year-old elephant named Siam.
Laithongrian Meephan, president of the Phra Kochaban Foundation for elephant care, said he had seen twin elephant births before, but they were always of the same sex. According to him, a twin birth with different sexes could be the first in the world.
Previously, in November 2023, the birth of twin elephants in Kenya also caught the world's attention, although both calves were female. According to ABC News, twin elephant births are rare, accounting for only about 1% of all elephant births.
During Chamchuree's delivery, a mahout (elephant keeper) assisting in the process was injured in the ankle while trying to prevent the mother elephant from attacking her calves. The mahout was immediately taken to the hospital for examination and x-rays.
According to AFP, the twin calves are currently with their mother. They are being helped by a special platform to reach their mother for nursing and are also being given extra milk through a syringe.
In addition, the twin calves will be named within the next seven days in accordance with Thai customs.
