Amidst all the chaos and tragedy in Sri Lanka, some wonderful news arose on 31 August. For the first time in nearly 80 years, it was reported that a domesticated elephant in Sri Lanka gave birth to twins.
The twins, both males, were born to a 25-year-old elephant by the name Surangi at the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in the Central Hills, who gave birth to them five hours apart. Surangi is a captive elephant who was born and brought under the care of the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on 3 December 1997, when she was not even one year old. Since then, Surangi has lived a peaceful life at the Elephant Orphanage, nurtured with love and care by their staff.
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage Development Officer – Education Unit Chandrika Priyadarshini explained that, at the dawn of 31 August 2021, at 4.30 a.m. specifically, Surangi gave birth to her first twin calf, and at about 10 a.m., she had delivered the second of her twin calves, adding to the joy of giving birth to a baby elephant a few hours back.
Their father, 17-year-old elephant Pandu, is also an orphanage resident. According to the Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust Managing Trustee Jayantha Jayawardena, twin elephants were last born in the country to a domesticated elephant belonging to Barnes Ratwatte in 1941, where one baby died immediately and the other lived for a short while before also passing on.
In July this year, Sri Lanka saw its first-ever twin elephant birth by a wild elephant in Minneriya National Park. Sumith Pilapitiya, a prominent wildlife research enthusiast, confirmed that it was the first time Sri Lanka has recorded the birth of twin elephant calves.
Speaking to Biodiversity Conservation and Research Circle of Sri Lanka Convener Supun Lahiru Prakash, he explained that twin births are rare among elephants. Research shows elephants are less than 1% likely to give birth to twins. It’s even less likely that both calves survive into adulthood. The only previously published records of twin births in Asian elephants appear to have been of those in captivity. Additionally, Asian elephants mostly live in low visibility forests and actively avoid humans, and it would be very hard to identify twins in brief encounters of elephant herds. In this case, since the elephants are domesticated and cared for by the orphanage, it was easier to observe the birth.
Caring for the calves
A quirk of biology allows the unborn calf to develop in the womb for almost two years, giving it the brainpower it needs to survive from birth. Consequently, twins are often stillborn or born prematurely, which is why this magnificent birth is seen as a miracle of sorts to wildlife enthusiasts.
Priyadarshini at the orphanage informed us that currently both the mother and the calves are doing fine. “The babies are relatively small compared to other elephant babies, but they are doing fine and we are ensuring that they stay well and safe,” she said.
As much hardship Surangi had to go through during this two-year gestation period, and giving birth to twins, Prakash explained that her next challenge would be feeding two calves. He also explained that one calf typically dies when the mother cannot provide enough milk for both twins. The more dominant calf hoards access to the milk, he explained, and the less dominant calf cannot feed enough to survive.
They also require a stress-free environment to achieve this feat, which we’re sure the kind souls at Pinnawala will assure to. The facility, a key tourist attraction, has been closed to visitors because of Covid-19 restrictions. So the elephants are bound to have peace of mind, away from prying eyes and loud noises, giving Surangi the calm environment she needs for her and her babies to thrive.
“Elephant babies are mostly dependent on their mother’s milk for the first two years. Since it appears that Surangi is a relatively young female in good health, and that the large protected area of Pinnawala ensures the protection and good resources for the elephants to feed on, there is hope that the twins will survive this critical period and make it to adulthood,” Prakash commented.
Priyadarshini also informed us that they have veterinarians that specialise in elephants under their employment, so both the mother and the babies will be well taken care of.
Sri Lanka is arguably the best place in the world to see wild Asian elephants, as it is the country with the highest elephant density. With this record of twins in the Pinnawala Orphanage, Sri Lanka chalks up another elephantine first, adding to the only “dwarf elephant” and the only known free-ranging “white elephant” in the world, both of whom call Sri Lanka their home.
