Agency Report –
Marlar, an elephant cow at Germany’s Cologne Zoo, gave birth in the early hours of Saturday to a healthy calf, a strong little bull who is yet to be named.
Both mother and baby are doing well, with the birth going smoothly without any complications, according to zoo director Theo Pagel.
“This once again shows how beneficial births within the family group are. We do it in Cologne just as in the wild,” Pagel noted.
The calf’s father is Tarak, an elephant bull born at Hanover Zoo in northern Germany in 2005. The gestation period for elephants is nearly 22 months, and Marlar’s pregnancy lasted exactly 663 days.
The zoo now houses 11 Asian elephants, including Sarinya, who was born there in June 2023. Another calf is expected by the end of the year, with the zoo looking forward to having a thriving elephant nursery once again.
Spanning two hectares, the zoo’s elephant park is home to these endangered animals. Asian elephants face significant threats in the wild, making the birth a significant event.
This year, Cologne Zoo is celebrating its 165th anniversary, and with more than 10,000 animals from 800 species, it attracts over 1 million visitors annually.
