First Baby Elephant Born in Australia
Posted by Amber Robinson at 9:42 AM on July 6, 2009
After a whopping 22 months of pregnancy, former Bangkok street elephant Thong Dee has given birth to Australia’s first native-born elephant at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
Born at 3.08am on Saturday, the still-unnamed male calf weighs in at around 100kg and was born after a three-hour labour.
Zoo staff have said that the calf is healthy and already showing signs of an assertive personality, however he is being kept away from a curious public for the time being, though monitored in his barn on CCTV.
Thong Dee was one of eight elephants brought to Australia from Thailand in October 2006 as part of a zoo breeding program. Of those, one male and four females settled in at Taronga Zoo. While she was the first elephant to give birth, two other female elephants at Taronga Zoo, Porntip and Pak Boon, are due to give birth in early 2010 and 2011.
Zoo spokesperson Guy Cooper said he was delighted by the success of Taronga’s elephant breeding program.
“I don’t think we really anticipated we would have three of four calves pregnant by this stage,” he said.
Pregnancy and birth is very risky for female elephants – statistically there is around a 40 – 50% mortality rate with first-time elephant pregnancies. But if these pregnancies are successful they will be the starting point for a self sustaining Asian Elephant population in Australia, and play a large part in raising awareness of issues affecting the survival of Asian Elephants.
You can watch footage of the baby elephant at the Taronga Zoo website, and enter a competition to name him.
I think “Nu-Thong” would be a nice name for the baby elephant (new Thong)
I think ‘Neung’ would be a god name for the new born elephant because it is Thai for one and it’s the first 1 born in Australia
sorry i spelt the name wrong it’s spelt ‘Nueng’
I think an appropriate name for the new baby elephant at Taronga would be Yung Wun. Alf Cummings. Campbell Town Tas. 7210
I think an appropriate name for the new baby elephant born at Taronga Zoo would be Yung Wun. A. Cummings 22 Pedder Street Campbell Town Tas 7210
l think a good name would be Kingthai
as he is king of Thailand
i think a good name would be prince tom-tie-tii
i like the name prince tom-tie-tii
I think a wicked name for the baby elephant would be Tahnikine or Maliki or maybe even maurece
I feel a great name for our new baby elephant would be
“Khrang Raaek” which means “first time”
As this is Australia’a first time elephant birth.
Well done to all the dedicated people involved.
I think a good name for the baby elephant would be Ozzie been the first one to be born in Australia.
I think an appropriate name for the baby elephant would be “Twotwo”,
(could be spelt Tootoo)as the gestation period is 22 weeks (22)
First Baby Elephant Born In Australia !!!!!! is that cos the rest born here were adults , hehehehe…love him really ,sooo cute…name …how about TARONGA….sounds like the king of all beasts…..
I made a BIG mistake of course the gestation period is 22 months and not 22 weeks as I wrote two comments above when I entered my name for him as Twotwo. I’m sure he’s Mum would have preferred 22 weeks,poor darling,but what a beautiful Mum,and a beautiful baby boy.We love him.
I think a really good name for the baby elephant would be SIAM as that was the original name of Thailand .
Suggested name to be Thong Noi meaning Little Gold or
Chai Sabai meaning Big Happy
The first time I visited Australia I visited Taronga Zoo, the peacock opened its feathers and danced around in such amazement, that was the best welcome I recieved and it blew me away. I am a PR here now and have been following all the care and priority is given to animals here, is so unbelieveable, so touching that I feel so blessed to be a part of my Australia. Our country is so blessed, because she is getting all the blessings and unconditional love from these innocent, so well looked after animals. I believe baby eles name should be Ganesha. Ganesha is the god of fortune & great promise and I believe this big baby has brought abundance of fortune & great promisese to Australia. its a Saying that ‘Things always happens for a very special reason” God bless big baby and our Blessed country – Australia.
Singing Heyde ho to my granddaughter recently I thought the name Hey Dee might be a suitable name for the little one…Hey Dee Ho the elephant “swings his trunk from side to side” (just as the little guy did when he was born). Just a thought.
I think our little baby elephant name
should be tika-taika or sharikai
because he got a special carisma and
charactor about him and he is special one
born in australia. and as first took
his first steps, reminded me like our
little toddeler ready to embark a adventure, take on this buitifull worled, hello worled iam here
My Suggestions for the name of this
Oops had not finished my comment before “cyber space” took over!! As I was about to say… my suggestions for the THAI names of this beautiful beast would be 1. Klaharn (meaning brave, bold) 2. Teerasak (meaning stability & power, authority) 3. Chakrii or Jakrii (King, Monarch)or Chalerm (meaning celebration, supreme, prestigious)
i think good name would be australia because its the first born elephant in australia
I have been thinking, as this little bloke is technically an Aussie citizen he should have a fair dinkum Aussie name – Orana-Kityikana which is aboriginal for Welcome, be Happy.
Please consider this suggestion.
Thank you
He should be called Gerald -
I think the guy should be called Tiny.
I think the elephant should be called boby or banana pants
I think Jumbo
I think goliath
I think Diego
i think lucky because the new baby elephant was lucky to be born into australia.
Tambo because it sounds like a good name for an elephant.
i think peaches because on iceage three they nmaed the new baby mammonth peaches and it is a very cute name.
i think big ears because all elephants have big ears.
i think lily or lucky because lilly sounds like a good name for an elephant and luck because it was the first baby elephant to be born into australia.
i spelt lily wrong it is lily
i think lucky or kechil or hitam witch means small and black but lucky is a great name because the new baby elephant was lucky to be born in australia and lots of animals are called lucky aswell.
i think SAWASDEE means greeting in thai easy to call
As soon as I looked at this adorable little Aussie elephant I thought Harris should be his name because when I first saw him I knew Harris would suit him and because it is a good old Aussie name that suits a good, little elephant!
Please take my suggestion into consideration.
Thank you!
i would like to see the nane of
SID-EN-EE. Please consider.
I think you should call it Merlin or Bugsy or Peaches off ice age 3 because they are cute names.
i think you shold call the baby elepant bonbon