Rare Elephant Born At Ont. Zoo

Proud mom Mali is like any other new parent. When she hears her child call for help, she immediately storms over to find out what’s going on.

She’s always around for cuddles and caresses, and she makes sure her baby gets plenty of vegetables – especially those leafy greens.

That’s easy for Mali to do – she just stretches out her trunk to pluck the freshest branches from the top of a nearby tree.

Those are Chuck’s favourite.

Chuck, Mali, and grandmother Targa are Asian elephants living at the African Lion Safari in Cambridge.

At birth, the pachyderm weighed an astonishing 235 lbs – not your average infant by any means.

He’s not even your regular baby elephant – he’s the first third-generation Asian elephant born on the continent.

“Targa, the grandmother, was born in 1983 in Florida and Mali the mother was born in Syracuse in 1997. So that’s sort of the genesis of the third generation,” explains Charlie Gray of African Lion Safari.

There are only about 35,000 left in the world.

The breeding program is “a concentrated effort of preserving these endangered species long term,” Gray explains.

Officials say the park has hosted more second-generation births than any other facility, a total of 11. Chuck is the 12th elephant to be born at the Safari, which has been in the baby ‘business’ since 1991.

Chuck was named after the man who introduced his parents: Chuck Doyle, the New York State zoo director, loaned Mali and Targa to the park in 2006.

“I think he’s grudgingly honoured, but I think he’s a little bit embarrassed too,” laughs Gray.

The Ontario baby will live with his mom and grandmother for several years before possibly being transferred to somewhere else in North America that needs a male for breeding purposes.

Check out the video link to see Chuck in action.