Carcasses of stillborn twin elephant calves found in Reserve

by Roshan Thushara Tennakoon

The carcasses of stillborn elephant twins were found at the Ela Reserve in the Mahasenpura area of Welikanda in the Polonnaruwa district last week.

Wildlife officers, who examined the bodies, said the stillborn calves had been been delivered about three days ago.

Officer-in-Charge of the Welikanda Wildlife Unit, Dinusha Dinesh, said the carcasses of the two animals were sent to the Giritale Veterinary Surgeon’s office for postmortems.

“Though we believe they were stillborn calves, the exact cause of death can be determined only after the postmortem examination”, he noted.

According to wildlife experts, multiple births are uncommon in the elephant universe as jumbos are massive, and not even their newborns are an exception. The calves usually weigh anywhere from about 200 to 260 pounds upon birth.