In the Bali Zoo, located in the village of Singapadu, a new resident named Kama was born on November 24, 2023, at 7:00 AM. Representatives of the zoo announced this joyful event a month later.
The male elephant calf, weighing 80 kg at birth, can confidently stand on its legs and feed on its mother's milk. Kama's father is 35-year-old Budi, and his mother is Nurhayati, 45 years old, both representing the endangered species of Sumatran elephants (Elephants maximus sumatranus).
Arya Sandita, the chief veterinarian of the Bali Zoo, confirmed the excellent condition of the baby. The mother elephant receives vitamins and additional portions of high-protein feed, such as soybeans, and various fruits to restore Nurhayati's physical condition and improve the quality of milk.
In captivity, Asian elephants can live up to 60 years, and some can even reach 75. Female elephants retain their reproductive ability up to 60 years. Sumatran elephants give birth to only one offspring after a long gestation period ranging from 18 to 22 months.
These particular elephants were rescued from the island of Sumatra, where they faced starvation due to the transformation of almost their entire habitat into plantations. The elephant population also significantly declined due to hunting.
Locals who lived on Sumatra in the 90s told us that they participated in forest expeditions with volunteer youth organizations to plant trees needed to feed the elephants.
Currently, on the habitat of Sumatra, there is a national park and an elephant sanctuary, Taman Nasional Way Kambas. It was established 100 years ago but did not function fully. In addition to elephants, it is home to the rare species of Sumatran rhinoceros, also listed in the Red Book.
In addition to the zoo in Bali, you can also visit the elephant sanctuary - Mason Elephant Park, where you can see 25 more Sumatran elephants.
Congratulations to the Bali Zoo on the new addition! Kama has become a new member of the elephant family, increasing their number to 15. There are now four males and eleven females. Before Kama, the last elephant calf was Lalang, born on March 17, 2022, marking the first instance of Sumatran elephants reproducing.
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