In June 2024, an Asian elephant in central Thailand gave birth to a set of twins. The event was considered a miracle, since elephant twins are a fleetingly rare occurrence.
Jamjuree, a 36-year-old elephant, birthed two calves — a girl and a boy. It’s the first official record of elephant twins of different genders born in Thailand. According to a statement, the shock of birthing a second calf sent the mother into a panicked frenzy.
Rare Elephant Twins
Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal on Earth today. African elephants, for example, carry their young for 22 months. Asian elephants, meanwhile, average anywhere between 18 and 22 months. While the birth of twins is quite rare amongst elephants, twin calves of different genders is considered even more of a rarity.
Elephant twin rates occur only around one percent of the time, says Giacomo D’Ammando, Samburu Research Manager at the non-profit Save the Elephants, though this might not always be the case amongst different populations. Mothers will also only carry twins to term under certain conditions, of which requires further study, he says.
In 2023, the elephant named Alto in Kenya’s Samburu Nature Reserve gave birth to twins, and was the protected area’s second set of twins in only two years. Prior to that, the only other recorded elephant twinning was back in 2006.
Birthing twins can place immense pressure on the mother, as having two mouths to feed can be difficult. Mothers might not be able to produce enough milk to feed both calves. Researchers have identified that the care elephants receive in the first two years of their life has lasting repercussions – both positive and negative – on a their growth.
Consequently, calf mortality tends to be high for twins born in the wild, usually due to a lack of nutrition.
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The Survival of Baby Elephants
In Samburu, another pair of twins – male and female – born in January of 2022 to a mother named Bora survived for three months, making it through a prolonged drought period. Sadly, the female disappeared that same year.
“We suspect she died from natural causes or was killed by a predator,” says D’Ammando.
Thankfully this is not always the case, however, as the twins born in 2023 to Alto have survived and appear to be thriving.
“They have both been sighted by our researchers in the field on several occasions with their mother and the wider family, and are healthy and strong,” says D’Ammando. Bora hasn’t been seen for some time so how her son is faring isn’t known, he adds.
What Triggers Twin Births?
There are many outstanding questions about the birth of elephant twins. There are several hypotheses about why it may occur and what can trigger twin births in some populations, from human actions, to environmental factors, to genetics.
“It is possible that the body condition of the mother, as well as her age, might affect twinning rates,” says D’Ammando.
In Tanzania, one paper reports that between 1992 to the early 2000s Tarangire National Park’s elephants birthing of twins was remarkably common. Of the 291 births, 14 were twins during that period, and one female birthed three sets of twins alone. Other reports of elephant twins come from countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, and South Africa.
The paper from Tanzania, for example, poses the question of how factors like reduced poaching and increased availability of food may have influenced the number of twins born. However, there is still much more to learn about this rare phenomenon.
“These are hypotheses that have not been tested yet. Genetics also likely plays a role, with some females more likely to have twins than others,” says D’Ammando. “Also figuring out if twin births are linked to genetics will be important, and what determines the survival of twins.”
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Sean Mowbray is a freelance writer based in Scotland. He covers the environment, archaeology, and general science topics. His work has also appeared in outlets such as Mongabay, New Scientist, Hakai Magazine, Ancient History Magazine, and others.
