Elephant born in Banda Aceh conservation camp

A Sumatran elephant in the Conservation Response Unit (CRU) in Aceh Jaya district, Aceh gave birth to a female calf early Tuesday morning.

The 20-year-old elephant, known as Suci (meaning 'holy' in bahasa) was impregnated by a wild elephant living in the forested area near the conservation camp. Wahdi Azmi, Fauna & Flora International's Field Manager in Aceh, said, "The birth is welcome news for conservationists working to save this species from extinction."

The Sumatran elephant is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered, having lost almost 70% of its natural habitat in the last 25 years, mainly due to forest conversion for agriculture.