Herd’s warm welcome for newest member as elephant gives birth in viral video
As soon as the little elephant comes out, the mother is joined by the rest of the members of the herd as the newest member receives a warm welcome.
A video of an elephant giving birth in the Masai Mara reserve of Kenya has gone viral on social media. The video, just 59 seconds long, has over 10 million views on Twitter so far with people gushing over the sight that ‘mommy’ elephant was surrounded by the herd while giving birth.
The video starts off with the mother elephant, in the moments just before the birth of the little one. As soon as the little elephant comes out, the mother is joined by the rest of the members of the herd as the newest member receives a warm welcome.
The baby elephant is as adorable as the video itself. Struggling to stand up firmly, it rolls on the ground when the mother elephant approaches it, trying to help it get a grip. At this time, the other members of the herd can be seen circling the duo.
Spread over an area of 1500 square km, the Masai Mara National Reserve is an area of preserved savannah wilderness in southwestern Kenya, along the Tanzanian border. Locally known as The Mara, the reserve is home to abundant wildlife and endless plains. The official website of the national reserve reports that The Masai Mara is known for the highest concentration of wild animals in the world as more than 40% of Africa’s larger mammals can be found here.
The Masai Mara was named in honour of the Maasai people, the ancestral inhabitants of the area. The Maasai (Maa) language word “Mara” means “spotted.” It won’t be difficult to understand how the Masai Mara gained its name once you’ve visited the region. The short, bushy trees scattered around the area do give it a somewhat “spotted” look.