Panang The 20 Years Old Pregnant Elephant Practises Her Maternity Stretches Guided By Her Minder.
Like any expectant mother, Panang the elephant wants the very best for her baby, which is evident as she carefully performs her maternity exercises.
Antenatal classes: Panang the elephant is put through her paces with her trainer Andi Fries at the Tierpark Hellabrunn Zoo in Munich
Panang’s exercises are designed to ensure her calf does not grow too big and to ease her labour.
Zoo keepers are anxious about the birth as Panang has been pregnant twice before – but both calves were sᴛɪʟʟʙᴏʀɴ. Sᴛɪʟʟʙɪʀᴛʜs are common among elephants, who experience difficult labours, sometimes resulting in the baby becoming sᴛᴜᴄᴋ between the womb and the pelvis.
The labor can last for several days, beginning with labor ᴘᴀɪɴs. The female elephant will lose her mucous plug, and ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴs increase as the labor continues.
Indeed some captive elephants have been discovered to carry mummified fetal remains in their wombs for years.
Wild elephants normally give birth at night.
Breeders are worried about Panang getting pregnant because she has given birth to two calves in the past. While ᴇᴍᴇʀɢᴇɴᴄʏ Cᴀᴇsᴀʀᴇᴀɴs were attempted, the procedure always cost the mother’s life.
Elephants in ‘cap.ti.vity’ usua.lly have’ their’ legs ‘te.th.ered’ during lab.our to prevent them from ʜᴜʀᴛɪɴɢ themselves or their handlers. Once the delivery is complete, mother and calf are given space and privacy to bond.
Once the delivery is complete, mother and calf are given space and privacy to bond.
Once she accepts her calf, the mother will pull it towards her.