Pairi Daiza is thrilled to announce the start of a brand new Asian elephant calf on August 21, 2025. The proud mom, Soraya, aged 14, delivered her child safely and calmly, surrounded by her devoted caretakers, veterinarians, and her close-knit elephant household. Each mom and calf are in good well being.
The start came about at 12:18 a.m. contained in the elephant dormitory, within the presence of Soraya’s mom, Khaing Hnin Hnin, and the remainder of the household group. A end result for the keepers.
This second start of the yr is very shifting due to Soraya’s life story. In December 2020, she gave start to a male calf named Sayun, who rapidly gained the hearts of holiday makers and keepers alike. Sadly, in August 2023, Sayun succumbed to elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV), a number one reason behind mortality amongst younger Asian elephants. Regardless of intensive care, medical therapy, and blood transfusions, the virus proved deadly.
The Pairi Daiza Basis on Defending Endangered Species
The Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), to which Soraya and her new child belong, is classed as Endangered by the Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Fewer than 50,000 stay within the wild, scattered throughout 13 Asian international locations. Habitat loss, human battle, and illnesses similar to EEHV proceed to threaten their survival.
Breeding packages in zoological parks play a significant position in safeguarding the species’ future. The Pairi Daiza Basis is equally dedicated to combating EEHV, working to guard elephants within the wild in addition to these cared for in zoos. The Basis helped set up a diagnostic laboratory in Belgium in collaboration with Zoolyx Veterinary Lab (Aalst). Since 2023, it has been working with Utrecht College’s EEHV analysis group to develop a vaccine. In late 2024, the vaccine was examined for the primary time in Europe at Rotterdam Zoo, with six elephants over the age of 5 efficiently vaccinated. The subsequent stage will prolong trials to youthful elephants.
