A two-month Asian baby elephant was introduced to the public for the first time on Tuesday at the Singapore Night Safari.
The unnamed female calf was born on May 12 and weighed 149 kg (328 lbs), according to Wildlife Reserves Singapore. The playful newcomer now tips the scales at 210 kg (463 lbs).
Dr. Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy CEO of Wildlife Reserves, already envisions a special role for the calf in promoting wildlife conservation.
"We can use her as an ambassador," he said, "to tell the plight of her cousins that are in the wild that are facing all sorts of problems. Problems with loss of their habitat and problems with human-animal conflict."
The Asian elephant is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The world conservation union said elephant numbers have been dwindling because of habitat loss driven by expanding human populations and poaching. (Reuters)
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