[Commentary] Recently, the Guangdong Qingyuan Chimelong National-level World Rare Wild Animals and Plants Provenance Base has successively successfully bred African elephant babies.
It is understood that from May to October 2022, a total of five African elephant cubs will be born one after another.
This is the first time since the Zimbabwe government entrusted Qingyuan Chimelong to carry out ex situ conservation of African elephants for seven years, and the five newborn cubs are currently in good health.
They are also the only remaining African elephant individuals born in China.
[Concurrent period] Yang Handong, conservation expert of Chimelong Group
Our five baby elephants, the first one was born in May this year, the second one was in June, the third one was in July, the fourth one was in August, and the most recent one was born on October 25th. of.
It weighed 128.5 kilograms when it was born. At present, the five baby elephants are in very good condition. They are all playing outside, following its mother, and those aunts and sisters are playing together.
[Explanation] According to reports, this group of African elephants is from Zimbabwe, Africa. Due to the difficulties of food shortages and human-elephant conflicts, the Zimbabwean government has been seeking international cooperation to protect African elephants.
In 2015, this group of African elephants came to Guangdong to settle down and started an ex situ conservation journey.
Experts have also carried out scientific research on African elephants, established a number of environmental and nutritional standards, and filled many gaps in the ex situ protection of African elephants for large populations in China.
[Concurrent period] Yang Handong, conservation expert of Chimelong Group
Our group of African elephants were rescued from Zimbabwe in 2015. After they came here, they have been carefully cared for by the breeding team, and their current condition is very good.
And since 2019, it has gradually reached sexual maturity and has begun to have estrus. So far, 5 baby elephants have been born, and several others are already pregnant.
[Concurrent period] Yang Handong, conservation expert of Chimelong Group
In the future, from the end of the year to next year, there will be five or six baby elephants to be born one after another.
In the future, just because it is old, it will ripen and fall, and it will naturally reach the peak of its reproduction.
[Explanation] According to animal protection experts, most of the other dozen or so female elephants at the provenance base have been successfully conceived. Over time, more baby elephants will be born at the provenance base, thus establishing a sustainable The developed African elephant ex situ conservation population also provides a Chinese case for the protection of rare animals in the world.
Reporter Wang Qingran Liu Shiying reports from Guangzhou
Responsible editor: [Yu Xiao]