A very young Elephant calf.
After a long morning game drive in the Maasai Mara, we came across a small herd of elephants. There was a very young calf with the herd and we spent time trying to get good views of it. As to be expected, it stayed very close to its mother. A lovely and relaxing encounter with a very young Elephant calf.
Mature female Elephants give birth every 3-4 years. After 22 months gestation Elephant calves are usually born during the night. Newly born calves weigh in at 75-120kg and stand 1m tall. Calves can stand within 20 minutes of birth and are able to walk within the hour. After just two days they can keep up with the herd. Calves suckle for about two years. For the first year they are not very good at controlling their trunks.