I'm sure they probably know him and are semi-used to his presence... but that dude is still ballsy as fuck to be standing that close to a newborn. That elephant straight up said "Fuck off" with that move to shield the baby.
this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
18 points (100.0% liked)
Elephants
403 readers
18 users here now
Welcome to c/Elephants!
Post your favorite elephant pics and memes here. Anything goes as long as it's elephant-related.
Our rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:
- Be respectful and inclusive
Everyone should feel welcome here. Hateful or bigoted language will not be tolerated.
- No illegal or NSFW or NSFL content
Don’t post anything a baby elephant would not approve of.
- No advertisement or spam
Elephants don’t like spam.
Related Communities
Community Feedback and Moderation
For inquiry on becoming a moderator of this community, please send a message to the current moderators. Any feedback on the community should also be sent to the moderators.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Agreed. And this is taken literal minutes after the calf was born, this is him taking his first steps. So I imagine the parents are very protective.
I don't work with elephants, but I've been around enough cows with newborns to learn to read the signs... I'm fairly familiar with that body language, you are absolutely correct... he was one intrusive elephant thought from achieving escape velocity.
Pairi Daiza is thrilled to announce the birth of a new Asian elephant calf on August 21, 2025. The proud mother, Soraya, aged 14, delivered her baby safely and calmly, surrounded by her dedicated caretakers, veterinarians, and her close-knit elephant family. Both mother and calf are in good health.
The birth took place at 12:18 a.m. inside the elephant dormitory, in the presence of Soraya’s mother, Khaing Hnin Hnin, and the rest of the family group. A culmination for the keepers.
This second birth of the year is especially moving because of Soraya’s life story. In December 2020, she gave birth to a male calf named Sayun, who quickly won the hearts of visitors and keepers alike. Sadly, in August 2023, Sayun succumbed to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a leading cause of mortality among young Asian elephants. Despite intensive care, medical treatment, and blood transfusions, the virus proved fatal.
The Pairi Daiza Foundation on Protecting Endangered Species
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), to which Soraya and her newborn belong, is classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Fewer than 50,000 remain in the wild, scattered across 13 Asian countries. Habitat loss, human conflict, and diseases such as EEHV continue to threaten their survival.
Breeding programs in zoological parks play a vital role in safeguarding the species’ future. The Pairi Daiza Foundation is equally committed to combating EEHV, working to protect elephants in the wild as well as those cared for in zoos. The Foundation helped establish a diagnostic laboratory in Belgium in collaboration with Zoolyx Veterinary Lab (Aalst). Since 2023, it has been working with Utrecht University’s EEHV research group to develop a vaccine. In late 2024, the vaccine was tested for the first time in Europe at Rotterdam Zoo, with six elephants over the age of five successfully vaccinated. The next stage will extend trials to younger elephants.
Video of birth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVtpeZ0bi8g