The Birth of an Elephant

Extract

On 21st December, 1956, while on a routine visit to the Nyamasagani area of the Park, I heard a great commotion in the bush and found that it was caused by a herd of elephants. Part of the herd was spread out, but on the left there was a closely packed mass of animals all facing outwards. In the centre of them was a small black slimy object, which turned out to be a new born calf. The birth had clearly just taken place because the mother, easy to identify by her condition, and another cow elephant were removing the membrane covering the calf. This was at 11.15 a.m. For the next four hours the elephants remained under observation.