Last night we recieved a tip to check out a website on which there was a live stream of a mama elephant labouring to give birth. It was one of those times when we really felt the poweer of the internet to connect people and teach with real experiences.

It was amazing to watch~ you could feel her pain as she rocked and wrapped her trunk about the bars and her ball. She was kept company by another of her children (or was it 2?). There were a few times when we thought something was coming~ she strained, squatted and... pooped.

The challenge with watching events unfold is that the zoo is in Antwerp and all the text on the site is in Dutch. And the online translators leave a lot to the imagination in their translations (this one was while she was labouring early last evening):

To grant we as many people a can on Phyo Phyo in its werpstal, questions you from at loggen if you will vacuum, just as to the baker pistolets, the carriage wash, a notebook read on the toilet,….in short if you chair than 10 minutes no longer your baffle more. You activity is in order, unwieldly then and keeps track of the tale further. At present there are 20, 000 spyglasses which sit simultaneously for the baffle. With your attention and positive responses you put the attendants a heart under the oar. Weet that it is here highly appreciated. Thanks! Published in news by ZOO Antwerp

Yup.

We went to bed before the delivery, but baby 'K' arrived safely and you can now watch some videos of these first hours. Too stinking cute!

If you like zoo videos, we are fond of the online selection at the Portland Zoo.