It's Twins! Mama Elephant Gives Birth To First Known Male Twins in Thailand

by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California

From: http://www.treehugger.com/

Image via HaPPi Like A HiPPo

Happy - and very unusual - news! Delivered to a cheering crowd, two male calves were born in the north-eastern province of Surin to a 35-year-old mother named Phang Thong Khun. They're the very first known male twins, and follow the birth of a set of female twins born in Thailand 15 years ago. But while the world celebrates their birth and they add to the very low count of elephants in Thailand, the boys aren't out of the woods yet.

Earth Times reports that the still-unnamed baby elephants are rare, and the survival rate is low.

While we have heard of twin elephants being born in the past, one or both often die.

The boys are adorable but tiny, though a veterinarian at Surin Elephant Hospital said they're both strong strong, each weighing in at about 70-80 kilograms.