# Baby elephant back from the dead



## adfel (Mar 10, 2010)

*Published On:* 3-10-2010
*Source:* ABC news

An elephant calf is fighting for life at Sydney's Taronga Zoo after being born two days after zoo staff declared it had died in the womb.

*Go to Original Article*


----------



## XKiller (Mar 10, 2010)

thats pretty amazing.


----------



## grannieannie (Mar 10, 2010)

Oh good, I was sad when I heard it had died....little fighter, I hope it will be ok


----------



## adfel (Mar 10, 2010)

Heis a fighter..... The fact thats he's alive just goes to show how much of a fighter he is....


----------



## TWENTY B (Mar 10, 2010)

woohoo, great news..


----------



## jessieJEALOUSY (Mar 10, 2010)

i cried my eyes out at school when i heard it survived D:
i volunteer at the zoo, and know some of the elephant keepers, i felt their pain when it was pronounced dead.

its so amazing that it survived though


----------



## JasonL (Mar 11, 2010)

Back from the dead? It was never dead...


----------



## solar 17 (Mar 11, 2010)

*Dead ????*

*Personally l would say it was still alive after several "experts" misdiagnosed it saying it was dead.....solar 17 [Baden] [3] cheers for mother nature...* ps...now lets see : what the experts have helped us with as l am probably a bit cynical [1] dead elephant calf [2] cane toads [3]mixo [rabbits] "cruel barstards".[4] agent orange ....and the list goes on & on & on mmmmmm not a bad start.......


----------



## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

I wouldn't trust it! the cat from pet cemetery was scary enough :lol: (jokes)

thats great news I hope it pulls through ok


----------



## adfel (Mar 11, 2010)

They have just shown pictures of him on sunrise this morning... walking and drinking from mum unaided!!!!! how exciting is that!!!!!


----------



## shellfisch (Mar 11, 2010)

It makes me extraordinarily happy


----------



## Retic (Mar 11, 2010)

[video=youtube;grbSQ6O6kbs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grbSQ6O6kbs[/video]


----------



## No-two (Mar 11, 2010)

Damn, and after I'd just finished mocking some sydney siders for not having a baby elephant... Atleast we're closer to the pandas


----------



## AMY22 (Mar 11, 2010)

No-two said:


> Damn, and after I'd just finished mocking some sydney siders for not having a baby elephant... Atleast we're closer to the pandas


 
Closer to the pandas? Puh-lease! I'm from Radelaide baby (first time I can say that with genuine pride), we GOT the pandas!


----------



## Kitah (Mar 12, 2010)

solar 17 said:


> *Personally l would say it was still alive after several "experts" misdiagnosed it saying it was dead.....solar 17 [Baden] [3] cheers for mother nature...* ps...now lets see : what the experts have helped us with as l am probably a bit cynical [1] dead elephant calf ........



The vast majority of people have very high expectations (usually way too high) of experts in their various fields. For example, people suggesting the veterinarians aren't in fact 'experts' in the area of elephant ultrasounding to detect pregnancy status and integrity. This would be an EXTREMELY hard field, I assure you! It can be challenging enough preg testing and determing various aspects on equine and bovine ultrasound, let alone on an elephant. Ultrasound equipment is only so advanced, it can only penetrate to certain depths, and then you start to loose a lot of detail, and can't penetrate tissues indefinitely. I.e. you can easily miss something in large animals, when you're tryin to get through so many layers of tissue! I do NOT blame the people who thought the calf had died- they didn't find the signs necessary to maintain the pregnancy, which would result in calf death = they made the right call. Though, just because they couldn't find these signs, doesn't mean they're not there- its related to the difficulty in ultrasounding such a large animal. 

Its good to hear the calf is alive, and seems to be doing ok


----------



## shellfisch (Mar 12, 2010)

As I said in a previous post, I am SO happy things turned out this way 

But does anyone else find it odd, that the mother was left to give birth alone, to a 'dead' baby, after a complicated pregnancy and possibly compromised delivery....?

Maybe I am thinking with my human brain, but after reading this in the news, it makes me really sad.
The moment Tarnonga Zoo knew a miracle had arrived | The Daily Telegraph

*THE tears began as Kat Theodore stood beside Porntip just inside the door of the elephant barn. * Silhouetted in the dawn light, Kat had only seen the dried blood splashed down the 18-year-old Asian elephant's legs.
The bulge which had housed her baby was gone. It was 6.30am on Wednesday. Kat cried for the elephant she believed was dazed and confused after giving birth to a dead baby during the night.
"I just felt really sad for her. Relieved the baby must have come out of her, which was important, but sad because she looked so lost, so unresponsive," Kat said.
"Normally she's so happy to see you but there was no response."
Internal exams and ultrasounds had shown the foetus had rolled over inside Porntip into a position never seen before and from which it appeared impossible to navigate the birth canal. CCTV footage later showed Porntip had brought him into the world at 3.27am, a birth that has stunned elephant experts.
He had the lived through a nine-day labour *and three hours lying unaided in the paddock dirt. :cry:
*


----------

