JAKARTA: A male Sumatran elephant was born at the Elephant Rescue Unit in Camp Bungur, Way Kambas National Park, in southern Sumatra on Saturday.
Acting head of the park, Hermawan, said the newborn is the second offspring of Riska, who had given birth to a female in 2017.
“The healthy baby elephant weighs 108 kg, with a body length of 120 cm, chest circumference of 110 cm, and a shoulder height of 93 cm,” he said in a statement.
The elephant mother and her calf are currently under the care of the park’s mahouts and medical team to ensure their well-being.
The park focuses on protecting the Sumatran elephant and is equipped with four Elephant Rescue Unit camps managing 60 elephants.
Sumatran elephants, identified as critically endangered by the World Wide Fund for Nature, have a global population ranging from 2,400 to 2,800.
The Way Kambas National Park, one of two national parks in the Lampung province, along with Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, spans about 125,631 hectares.
Forestry Ministry’s official Satyawan Pudiatmoko highlighted the park’s successful conservation efforts, evident in the protection against hunting and encroachment, semi in situ reproduction, and community empowerment.-Bernama
