On December 5th, the Pongola Game Reserve in Pongola, South Africa, witnessed the birth of something truly rare when one of their 31-year-old elephants gave birth to a set of twins. The likelihood of this double dose of adorable infant elephants is less than 1%, and their chance of survival into adulthood is even lower than that.
That’s why the reserve plans to keep an extra eye on the little ones, while also giving their mother the space she needs to care for them.
There is still a lot we don’t know about the twins: their name, gender, and paternity are all up in the air while they take time to build their strength.
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Their mom, Curve, is named for the distinct shape of one of her tusks.
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And for now, they’re pretty much always by her side.
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The best guess of paternity at the moment is a 44 year old bull who passed away a little over a year ago.
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Elephant specialist Dr. Ian Whyte explains the “Curve needs a stress free environment to beat the odds.”
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This video from the reserve shows them following their mom around before she allows them to nurse:
Death usually occurs in the cases of twins when the increased demand for milk cannot be met by the mother. Though it’s rare, it’s not impossible. One elephant known as MaMerle at Kruger National Park, also in South Africa, gave birth to two separate sets of twins in 2002 and 2006. With each set, MaMerle’s twins were all able to survive past weaning age when given the proper, stress free environment.
You can stay up to date on Curve’s little ones by checking out the reserve’s Facebook page and website.
